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"We don't blame the
driver"
16.07.10
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So glad our son had
found love
by Linda McGrory
THE parents of one of the eight victims of the
horror smash in Co Donegal have reached out to the
driver and sole survivor of the accident.
Eamonn and Claire Sweeney told mourners at their son
Ciaran's funeral yesterday, that they do not blame
Sean Kelly, 21, for the accident.
Sean Kelly was driving the black VW Passat that was
involved in the two-car collision between Buncrana
and Clonmany on Sunday night. Bachelor Hughie Friel,
66, and Mr Kelly's seven passengers were all killed
instantly. He remains in intensive care in hospital.
Eamonn Sweeney said: "Claire, Rory, Owen, Orla and
myself want it to be made perfectly clear that we
don't...blame Sean or anyone else, in any way, for
the loss of our beautiful son and brother.
"The Kelly family will always be welcomed into our
home with open arms." |
Butcher's apprentice
Ciaran was going out with Sean Kelly's sister
Catherine Anne Kelly. His parents said they know
their son was in love.
Mr Sweeney added: "We are so glad that Ciaran found
love of a different kind outside our home in meeting
his girlfriend, Catherine Anne. We know he loved
her, as do we and he really could not have met a
nicer girl."
He added: "Ciaran gave us almost 20 years of love
and happiness. Our memories of Ciaran are all good
ones and we could |
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not be any more proud
of our son.
"In particular we thank the boys and girls who are
Ciaran's friends. We thank them for the craic we had
with them as well as the craic they all had
together.
"We would like all his friends to continue visiting
our home."
Hundreds of people packed into St Mary’s Church,
Clonmany, where just that morning they had attended
the funeral of Paul Doherty. The community rallied
around to provide tea and refreshments in the local
parish hall for all the mourners between the first
and second funeral. Mass was celebrated by family
friend Fr Michael Sweeney who said he would sorely
miss Ciaran and his friends.
Meanwhile, Ciaran’s heartbroken dad said his son
always looked forward to the annual Clonmany Music
Festival in August as well as Oxegen. He didn't go
to Oxegen for the music, just "the craic", he said.
"The death of Ciaran causes us great pain, but, a
huge feeling of happiness and pride lives and
breathes in us as well.
"We feel we are the luckiest parents in the world to
have had a son like Ciaran. Claire and I, we loved
him very much." Mr Sweeney's emotional tribute was
greeted with warm applause from the congregation.
Ciaran's was one of four funerals that took place
yesterday. Both he and his "great pal" Paul now rest
in side-by-side graves under a sycamore tree in a
corner of Clonmany cemetery at the edge of the
village. |
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