The funerals took place at the weekend of the three young men killed in a road crash in Co Mayo last week.
There were poignant scenes in St Mary's Church, Ballinrobe, on Saturday as the funeral Mass for Jonathan Donovan (21), and cousins Pat (24) and Aaron Morley (20), took place before a congregation of about 700 people, while another 500 mourners stood outside and listened to the Mass on a public address system.
Ballinrobe parish priest Mgr Tom Shannon told the three families: "We know you've come here today with aching hearts and feelings of desolation beyond naming. But we hope and pray that the word of God, always sure and comforting, together with our feeble words, will help to lift the burden that weighs so heavily upon you today." The hearts of friends and neighbours of Jonathan, Pat and Aaron were "weighed down with sadness", he said.
The three men worked together as delivery men for local bakery Irish Pride. They shared a love of cars, and the gifts brought to the altar during the Offertory Procession reflected this passion - they included remote control cars and a copy of Auto Trader magazine. In the church grounds were parked a number of vehicles which, mourners were told, were "their pride and joy".
Gardaí are continuing their appeal for witnesses to the crash which happened on Wednesday last at 6.20pm outside Ballinrobe Racecourse.
The silver Mitsubishi Lancer, driven by Mr Donovan, collided with an oncoming tipper truck before becoming embedded in a wall. The three men were pronounced dead at the scene.