Father-of-three Stephen Lynch, who was killed in a hit-and-run in Tallaght last week, was remembered at his funeral as a man who “lived for his family”.
Mr Lynch (32), from Glenshane Crescent in Tallaght, was struck by a vehicle at Brookview Close at around 7pm on April 13th and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral at St Aidan’s Church, Brookfield in Jobstown.
Members of Marks Celtic football club in Tallaght formed a guard of honour as the hearse arrived followed by his mother Vera, partner Kellie and his young children Craig, Haylie and Cillian.
Mr Lynch’s younger brother Ray told the congregation: “He was a special kind of person, he was different, special in many ways.
“He lived for us, he lived for his family. He absolutely lived for us. Stephen was the life and soul of every party.
“He was my big brother and our family will never be the same without you bro. You’re loved beyond words and you’re missed beyond measure and I’m sorry that it took this to realise that I love you.”
In his homily, Fr Jimmy McPartland said: “His death is like a great disaster. His death on Holy Thursday has stunned the community. It is untimely and unjust.”
“There is nothing anyone can say or do today that makes sense of Stephen’s death. One of the biggest difficulties we have now is that we feel sort of powerless, events have moved in a swift and unforeseen way, beyond our control.”
Mr Lynch’s mother said the day he died was the worst of her life. “Stephen has his own personal problems, and I knew he was never going to get old but I just didn’t expect it to be like this,” she said.
Local community
Bishop Eamonn Walsh concluded the ceremony, praising the local community that has also had to deal with the death of Reece Cullen (16) in a stabbing last January.
“Every time I come to a funeral here I get so inspired, the heart of Tallaght is something so generous and so deep. You know and I know that we’re not going down the road of tit-for-tat and an eye for an eye, that’s only a spiral of the violence that only ends in self-destruct.”
Bishop Walsh appealed to the young people of the community, saying “there has to be a better way”.
“We’ve been here too often in the past and we don’t want to see this again.
“We pray that our justice system will be such that it won’t just focus on the length of the sentence but that it will focus on repairing the damage done, that it will put a lien on people’s property and we make them work to repair the damage.”
Gifts included a pair of runners, a football, a Leeds United scarf and framed photographs.
Flowers were laid alongside the coffin in the hearse and on top of the vehicle before it left.
A special white floral tribute in the shape of a football jersey containing the Leeds United crest was also placed alongside the coffin.
Mr Lynch was hit by a silver Ford Focus hatchback, registration 10 WW 1812, which was left at the scene.
A red Volkswagen Polo, registration 01 D 9539 which is believed to belong to someone involved in the hit-and-run was later found abandoned in Crumlin.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses and anyone with information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda station on (01) 666 6075 or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111.
