Irish Examiner view: Poignant farewell to a beloved grandad

Family and friends gathered to mourn Thomas O'Halloran, whose death has raised concern over street violence in London

Thomas O'Halloran, 87, was riding his mobility scooter lon Cayton Rd in Greenford, west London in August when he was stabbed to death. File picture: Metropolitan Police

The poignant farewell in London this weekend for 87-year-old pensioner Thomas O’Halloran, originally from Ennistymon, Co Clare, was a sad reminder of the violence which remains present in society.

Mr O’Halloran, a “well-liked grandfather”, was fatally stabbed while on his mobility scooter on August 16 in Greenford. He was a music lover and was well-known for busking outside the local station. In the weeks before he died, he had been raising money for Ukraine.

Nearly 400 family members, friends and sympathisers and members of the Irish community attended his funeral service which was accompanied by traditional musicians who performed some of the songs that he played on his accordion while fundraising. 

His coffin was carried from church adorned with the flag of Clare.

While a 44-year-old man has been accused of repeatedly stabbing Mr O’Halloran and faces trial next year, the death has provided further impetus to public anxiety over the prevalence of knife crime in the UK capital.

London accounts for between 20% and 25% of the whole of the country’s attacks, while just one in six offences has been solved in the past two years.