‘Our Karl did not deserve this’: Funeral of Kilkee stab victim

The parents of Co Clare stabbing victim Karl Haugh (25) have spoken of their grief at his funeral, having experienced the loss of their other child in tragic circumstances over a decade ago.

At a packed St Senan’s Church in Kilkee, Bridget and Joseph Haugh said: “Our Karl did not deserve this — what child does?”

Last Sunday morning, Mr Haugh died after being stabbed during an incident near his home at the Marian Estate in Kilkee.

In a letter read out on Wednesday at his funeral mass, his parents said that when his life was taken “his father’s soul and my own soul were taken as well”.

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Karl was the second child of the Haughs to die in tragic circumstances and on Wednesday he was buried alongside his 16 year old sister, Stacey, at Lisdeen cemetery outside Kilkee.

When aged 11, in October 2003, Karl was only given a 20 per cent chance of living and underwent heart surgery in a crash that claimed the life of Stacey and her friend and neighbour, Lorna Mahoney (13).

Kilkee parish priest Fr Gerry Kenny told the congregation that Karl returned to St Senan’s Church a few months after the crash in April 2004 to celebrate his Confirmation there with his parents.

In their letter read out mourning the loss of their only surviving child, Bridget and Joseph said to Karl: “You are with Stacey now, please give her a kiss from us. Oh God, it is not fair.”

The two said: “Karl, we will always love you. Our house will never be the same without you.”

The Haughs described Karl “as a strong willed person — he knew what he wanted in life”.

‘Loveable son’

Fr Kenny said that Bridget wanted people to remember Karl “as a loveable man and a loveable son”.

Only in the last number of months, Karl became a father for the first time to baby Evelyn and his friend, Christopher told mourners that Karl told him on his recent 25th birthday that Evelyn was the best birthday present he ever got.

In his homily, Fr Kenny appealed for calm in the aftermath of the tragic death.

“It is not a time for reaching out or reacting in anger and neither is is a time for despair. It is a time to be gentle with one another,” he said.

Mementos of Mr Haugh’s life were brought up to the altar at the end of the mass and they included a graduation photo from a health and fitness course he recently completed; a model of a miniature motorbike symbolising his love for his bike; a music speaker for his love of music that had earlier played Drake’s “One Dance” and boxing gloves and dumb-bells showing his love of fitness.

The gifts also included a symbol of the excitement and welcome for baby Evelyn.

His coffin was draped in the blue and white colours of Kilkee GAA club and a group of Karl’s motorcycle friends drove for a time behind the hearse as his remains were brought through the streets of the seaside resort on their journey to Lisdeen cemetery.