GRIEF AT LOSS OF TWO MEN
Families mourn deaths of Fintan (33) in storm and Robert (29) in road accident
TWO FAMILIES are grieving this week following the deaths of Fintan Goss from Ballymakellett, who died when a tree fell on his car during Storm Ophelia last Monday afternoon, and Robert McLoughlin, from Newry Road, who died after being struck by two cars near his home in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Gardaí are continuing their investi- gations into the death of 29-year-old Robert, who was hit by two cars as he crossed the Newry Road at Dowdallshill, close to the Racecourse Road junction, at 3.15am on Saturday. The drivers of the cars, a man and a wom- an, were uninjured in the incident that claimed the young accountant’s life. His funeral takes place on Thursday.
Hundreds of mourners packed the country chapel of St Mary’s, Rav-endsale, and more gathered outside on Saturday morning as family and friends bade farewell to 33-year-old Fintan. His wife Pamela spoke of how they had been childhood sweethearts.
SHEETS of rain swept across the hillside cemetery as Fintan Goss was laid to rest on Saturday morning. Calvery Cemetery shares a similar view to that which Fintan enjoyed from the home he had made with his wife Pamela and children Laragh and Henry at nearby Ballymakellet.
Mourners crowded into St Mary’s Chapel and huddled outside in the rain, for the funeral on Saturday morning, where they were welcomed by Fr Brian White, who recalled how ‘Fintan had brought so much love and life to the lives of so many people’ and had fitted so much into his 33 years.
He described the huge attendance at the funeral as testament to Fintan and how he would be missed by so many people, noting ‘ the power of the community to reach out’ at a time of terrible tragedy.
‘Fintan had fitted so much in 33 years that his life was complete,’ he said. ‘He was a decent generous good young man. In the his 33 years he touch so many people’s lives.’
‘ Though born and reared here in Ravensdale, he built a really perfect family home in Ballymakellet, most of which he oversaw himself. Before settling down Fintan loved to travel. He spent many summers travelling in Asia with friends and later travelling around the world with his beloved Pamela.’
Fintan and Pamela both knew they had met the love of their lives,’ he continued. ‘ There was an instant bond and what resulted was 16-plus years of fun and enjoyment. Fintan often said of Pamela he made an order to God to find him the perfect woman, and God delivered.’
‘“They had genuine respect and appreciation for each other. They both wanted the same things in life and they achieved them all together. He achieved everything he wanted in life. Most especially, Pamela, you gave him the two greatest gifts that anyone could ever give him – his beautiful princess Laragh and beautiful baby boy Henry.’
Fintan was a perfect gentleman, testament to John and Mary, his beloved ‘Ma and Da’ who meant the world to him. He had loved to brag that he was the youngest of the family because with him they had reached perfection.
The loss of his brother Ronan had made the friendship between him and his older brother Colin even stronger and they were best mates, and he was protective of his older sister Maria.
He had spent so much time with Pamela’s family that his parents had taken to call him Toner.
Family photos and a Lumpers FC scarf were carried to the alter as symbols of his life.
After Communion, Pamela told the hushed congregation that the last letter she had written to Fintan was on the night before their wedding. ‘In that letter I wrote that I have known you for over half my life, though for some cruel reason, we have only been husband and wife for sixteen months. To me that is nothing to dwell on, as we were childhoods sweethearts and knew that wer4e were made for each other long before our wedding.’
‘I am so deeply broken to physically say ‘goodbye’ to you,’ she said. ‘But I am content that I achieved with you all the important things in life – love, happiness and family. ‘
‘I am so proud standing here today as your wife, best friend and mother of our beautiful babies. I trust they will always have you with them. And Finto, I will love you until the day I see you again.’
The Mass was enriched by beautiful songs performed by Lisa McGuinness including some which had been sang at their wedding, while Pamela’s cousin Kristina Keenan sang the Oasis song ‘Slide Away’ which she had sung on their wedding day. Van Morrison’s ‘Into The Mystic’ was played as Fintan’s coffin was removed from the chapel.