Patrick ‘Pappy’ Lyons, who was shot dead in Ballymun, Dublin, a fortnight ago, loved his mother’s Saturday fry-ups and Sunday dinners, and was an avid follower of Liverpool Football Club, his funeral mass heard on Thursday.
Fr Declan Blake, who presided over the service at St Joseph's Catholic Church, Ballymun, described how Mr Lyons's family and the local community were "thrown into a darkness" when news of the "brutal, callous murder reached our ears".
Mr Lyons, a 44-year-old father of two, was shot several times as he walked in the Belclare estate where he lived on the evening of February 11th and was declared dead at the scene.
Mr Lyons was not involved in gangland crime. He was a drug user and had a number of convictions related to his addiction. Gardaí suspect he was murdered as part of a localised dispute having fallen foul of dangerous criminals.
He is survived by his parents Mary and Patrick, as well as his children Cillian and Georgia. It was the second time in a week Mr Lyons’s family had been hit by tragedy following the death of his partner from an illness.
“Mary always remembers Pappy’s birth,” Fr Blake told the congregation. “Just after Pappy was born, the nurse came in and handed her the baby. She looked at him and thought he was the image of his father. The nurse came back a few minutes later and said ‘Mary, I’m sorry, I gave you the wrong baby.’
“So that was the start of Pappy’s journey.
“A few months later, Mary got on a bus and she dropped a large carrier bag she had. The bus driver said ‘Missus you’re after dropping your shopping bag.’ Mary said ‘No, that’s me baby.’ So he had a bumpy start.”
The funeral heard how Mr Lyons worked as plumber in his early years, and “loved Mary’s Saturday fry-ups and also Sunday dinners”.
“But, like us all, Pappy had his own struggles in life,” continued Fr Blake. “Living with addiction can be a very lonely, painful and stressful life, for the individuals, but also too especially for the families.
“For you Mary and Pat, to lose your only child in such a brutal and senseless way is heartbreaking.
“Cillian, you were your da’s number one. He loved you to bits and he was so proud of you doing so well. I know he loved playing football with you and he loved spending time with you.
“Your ma and da, Pappy and Sandra, are watching over you now from heaven and they want you to keep doing well, be strong, and to be happy. They know that you’re very sad now and they know that all the family will look after you.”
Mr Lyons’ cousin Justine and his mother Mary shared the eulogy. “We never thought we’d be here today,” said Justine. “Years ago I done a reading at me uncle’s funeral. I fell off the altar. It was Patrick who picked me up. Who wants to do the honours today?
“Patrick was 13 when I was born. He was my cousin, my godfather and friend. I remember Patrick telling us he was going to be a da. It was the proudest day of his life, having Cillian and Georgia. He was a great da and always had time for them.”
His mother Mary added: “Patrick, as your mother and your friend, I just wanted to say, you had your problems but I loved you every day. There is nothing more I can say other than I am going to miss you every day. There is no love like a mother’s love, that’s all I can say.”
