A parish priest in Limerick has said the people who killed a father of six could never destroy the "goodness" and "innocence" of the man they murdered.
Fr Pat Hogan made his comments yesterday at the funeral Mass of Noel Crawford (40), at the Holy Family Church in O'Malley Park, Southill.
He was shot dead outside his parents' house earlier this week barely 100 yards away from the church where mourners gathered yesterday to pay their last respects.
Gardaí don't believe the department store security man was the intended target of last Monday morning's shooting. His younger brother, who has strong links to a feuding gang, was also in the family home when Mr Crawford was murdered.
At his requiem Mass yesterday, Fr Hogan said Mr Crawford was an "innocent" man and he spoke of the "great injustice" which had been done to his family.
"Noel was a good man, highly loved by his family and well spoken of by people in this community. In the words of someone who knew him well - he wouldn't harm a fly."
Fr Hogan said many people were justifiably angry at his brutal death as he celebrated his 40th birthday. "Noel died at his parents' front door. His death can give rise to a lot of anger, how do we get justice? How do we get even?"
The parish priest appealed for calm in the troubled Southill community, which has been plagued by violence and tragedy.
Fr Hogan said the great people in any family or community were those who could carry great injustice and great suffering with dignity.
"The family are entitled to be angry but we cannot allow ourselves to be contaminated by the shame, guilt and evil intent in those who caused Noel's death."
He told mourners that those responsible for Mr Crawford's death were marked for life and had no place to hide.
"They might wish each other happy Christmas but they know they have a man's life on their hands. They will never wipe away the goodness, the non-violence and the harmlessness that was in Noel Crawford."
Following the funeral Mass, mourners walked in a cortege behind a horse-drawn hearse to the graveyard at Mount St Oliver Cemetery.
Gardaí maintained a visible presence outside the church and along the route of the funeral procession following a recent escalation in tensions in the area.
The horse-drawn hearse and funeral cortege paused briefly outside Mr Crawford's family home in O'Malley Park.