More than 1,000 mourners packed St Mary's Church in Castleblayney for the Requiem Mass and funeral of 23-year-old Brendan O'Reilly, who drowned in a swimming pool while on holidays in Gran Canaria over a week ago.
Mr O'Reilly had just started a week's holiday with two of his companions at the Playa del Ingles complex.
His parents, Patrick Joseph and Kay O'Reilly, travelled to the holiday resort to accompany home their son's remains.
Yesterday hundreds of people lined the route as the coffin was borne by relays of pall-bearers from his home at Annalitten to the hearse. Members of the Toome Gaelic Football Club escorted the hearse and formed a guard of honour at the church.
Traffic was halted for nearly an hour in the Border town as hundreds turned out to pay their last respects to the young GAA player. Mr O'Reilly's only brother, Damien (25), gave the first reading at yesterday's service, which was conducted by the Rev Fr Kevin Duffy, a Castleblayney curate, assisted by the parish priest, the Very Rev John McCabe. One of Brendan's friends who accompanied him on the holiday, John Duffy (25), of Lough Egish, gave the second reading.
Offering condolences to Brendan's parents and all his friends, Fr Duffy said no words were sufficient to describe the sadness and grief experienced throughout the community over his tragic death and the loss of someone so young and vibrant who was no longer with them after a "straightforward holiday which turned into a nightmare".
He said the huge turnout was a source of some consolation for the young footballer's bereaved parents and brother. He hoped the prayers of the congregation would help them face up to their tragic loss.