A letter written by the mother of one of the three teenagers who died at Menlo Pier in Galway last week was read out in English and Polish at the interment of his ashes in Co Kilkenny on Friday.
Wojeich Panek was one of three teenagers who died when their car went off Menlo Pier, located on the river Corrib on the outskirts of Galway city, at around 2.40am last Saturday.
His mother Katarzyna, father Grzegorz and younger sister Viktoria were among hundreds of mourners who gathered at the rural cemetery at the edge of the medieval village on Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny where his ashes were placed.
One of the funeral directors read a message from Wojciech’s mother to those gathered for the non-religious ceremony which lasted 30 minutes.
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The letter read: “Although we all know that death is a part of life, it’s hard to accept it, especially when you don’t understand it. The pain of losing a child is indescribable. Listen to me son, I want you to know that I’m not mad at you.
“I know that you didn’t want this and I know that if you had a feeling that something was going to happen you would have never have went there. So I can’t be mad at you and don’t be mad at yourself either because the situation you found yourself in would be hopeless for anyone.”
His mother’s letter continued: “Sometimes life is decided for that one moment over which we have no influence and you don’t know and I don’t either. Wojciech I want you to know that I, your Mum, your Dad, your brother (Kamil), your sister, uncle and grandmas, all of your friends aren’t exactly saying goodbye to you.
“For us, you have always been, you are and always will be, and that will never change. I love you my son and I promise you that I will be strong for you and all of us. I will just like before – in fact, this is only a temporary parting. I’m not going to cause you sadness and I know that you would not want that too. Take care of yourself dear and watch yourself. I guess I’ll see you on the other side of life.”
The letter was then read out to mourners in Polish, as many form part of the large community in Graiguenamanagh and Thomastown, Co Kilkenny.
Many of his friends travelled to the ceremony from nearby Thomastown where his family once lived and he was a past pupil of Grennan College Secondary School.
Grennan College students past and present formed a guard of honour as his ashes were carried by his mother Katarzyna into the cemetery.
Wojciech was due to turn 18 just days after his death in the early hours of last Saturday along with two other teenagers. He was in his second year as an apprentice carpenter at GRETB Training Centre Galway.
Both Panek and 16-year-old John Keenan Sammon were pronounced dead shortly afterwards. The third teenager, 19-year-old Christopher Stokes, died in hospital on Saturday afternoon. The two other teenagers were buried on Wednesday and Thursday.
As the ceremony drew to a close, one of the teenager’s favourite songs, Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros filled the chilly afternoon air.
One woman whose child was friendly with Wojciech said: “A nicer boy you could not meet. He could never do enough to help you – he was so kind and caring. Wojciech always had a smile on his face.”
In a note on rip.ie, GRETB Training Centre Galway said: “Sincere sympathies to the Panek family on the loss of Wojciech, he was really well thought of by all his classmates and staff in the GRETB Training centre Galway where he was training on his journey to becoming a carpenter.”