Liam Miller: 1981-2018 - The loss of the best is the worst

Before the Requiem Mass, a long, solemn hush settled in a packed St John the Baptist Church in Ovens, Cork, yesterday.

It was the day a place had dreaded since October, when the devastating news of Liam Miller’s illness spread.

Dotted among locals and family in the pews sat footballers — current and former — teammates, opponents, and friends. Strong, fit men. Survivors of this cruel lottery, but all, as Fr Liam Hickey put it, feeling more vulnerable today.