Family gathers in tribute to Thomas
Cllr Healy-Rae hits out at online reaction to car crash
KERRY Councillor Jackie HealyRae has hit out at comments made on social media as his extended family gathered for the funeral of a 14-year-old relative who died earlier this week after the car he was driving went out of control.
Tweeting ahead of the funeral of Thomas Healy, Cllr Healy-Rae, the son of Kerry TD Michael, wrote: ‘We’ve unfortunately lost a lot of young lives this week, some of the comments under the new [sic] articles online are disgraceful, unnecessary and ignorant.
Their families and friends are grieving, why some people feel the need to add to that pain by being horrible is beyond me.’
Cllr Healy-Rae was responding to comments by some people who questioned why a 14-year-old boy was driving a car.
There were emotional scenes yesterday morning as Thomas Healy’s coffin was escorted along the winding roads of the spectacular countryside of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks for his funeral Mass and burial. Prayers were said at the Mass for Thomas’s friend, who was injured in the same crash and is facing surgery.
They were also said for motorcyclist James O’Connor of Killorglin, who lost his life in a separate accident at Listry, north of Killarney, at 8pm on Tuesday, just hours before the crash on Ross Road that claimed the life of 14-year-old Thomas.
Prayers were also said for the emergency and medical services who attended the scene of both accidents this week.
Emotional tributes were paid to Thomas. The funeral heard how the Healy household always ran on ‘Thomas time’ and how the much-loved youngster was the apple of his parents’ eye and so loved by his older brothers, who are all in their 20s.
Friends, schoolmates from the Intermediate School Killorglin, neighbours and heartbroken teammates in football and soccer had gathered to line the route from the Gap to the church of St Mary in Beaufort, where Thomas had once served as an altar boy.
Hundreds tuned into the ceremony, which was streamed live on the parish Facebook page.
There were appreciative comments about the singing and music by his older brother Jack Patrick, a London-based composer and musician, and backing singers.
The ceremony, which lasted over an hour, heard how Thomas was a talented sportsman, playing soccer with Killarney FC, ‘the Blues’.
Celebrant Fr Kieran O’Sullivan noted how his local Beaufort GAA club had said there was ‘a Kerry jersey in him’, such was his talent.
Fr O’Sullivan told how he heard of the tragedy on Ross Road on the 7am news bulletin on Wednesday morning, how one 14-year-old boy was dead and another was in Tralee hospital in a serious condition.
He said his thoughts were immediately with the families. He then learned their identities.
He knew Thomas’s father Ger (known as the Singing Jarvey) and his older brother Jack Patrick from performing at weddings and funerals and Christmas parties.
Fr O’Sullivan told the congregation: ‘These two boys did not go out with the intention of not returning home.’
Thomas’s coffin was carried by his brothers Danny and Michael and other relatives and was adorned with a photograph of the 14-yearold in his favourite Blues jersey, an O’Neill’s football and a model blue tractor, reflecting his love of going to vintage tractor charity events with his father Ger to raise funds for needy causes.
Fr O’Sullivan told how he had visited the Healy family home on Thursday evening. ‘Thomas had come home. The family had gathered around the coffin,’ the priest said, recalling how he was so dearly loved by his mam, dad and three older brothers.
Fr O’Sullivan said Thomas inherited a great singing voice a nd was a talented football and soccer player.
Among the congregation at the private funeral were Thomas’s relatives, Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae and Cllr Maura Healy-Rae, Danny’s daughter, who represents the Killarney area.
After the funeral Mass, Thomas made his final journey to Crosstown Cemetery in Beaufort, where he was buried in the family plot.
Hundreds tuned into the ceremony on Facebook
Thomas was ‘a talented football and soccer player’