Exhaustive search effort reflected regard in which late John was held
“HE was in Heaven back here. I know he’s in Heaven now, but he was certainly in Heaven already back here.”
So Dún Chaoin man Gearóid Mistéal said of his close friend, John Cunningham, whose body was laid to rest in Dún Chaoin on Saturday evening following an extensive search at sea and on land last week.
Emergency services received remarkable local, community-driven support after the 52-year-old Blarney native and Com Dhíneol resident was reported missing last Monday, June 22, having not been seen since the previous Saturday. A thorough operation began the following morning amid fears that Mr Cunningham may have fallen into or been swept into the sea at Cuas an Reithe, an inlet on the south side of Dún Mór where he kept lobster pots.
John’s body was found last Thursday – not far from where he kept his pots – by Mallow Search and Rescue, who recovered his body and carried him ashore to Ventry shortly afterwards, Chairperson John Woulfe told The Kerryman.
Valentia Coastguard co-ordinated the search, with Shannon- and Waterford-based Rescue Helicopters 115 and 117; Valentia RNLI; Dingle Coast and Cliff; a drone team from Doolin, County Clare; Gardaí; individual organisations and many locals, friends and siblings of Mr Cunningham’s assisting over the three days.
“We contacted the Gardaí immediately once we located him, and they gave us the go-ahead to recover him,” Mr Woulfe said. “We took him to Ventry then, where we were met by the Gardaí and the local coastguard unit.”
Gearóid Mistéal described Mr Cunningham as a hugely likeable person who integrated seamlessly with the locality.
“I got to know John 15, 16 years ago. I think they were renting a house here first, then John bought the house in Com Dhíneol,” he said. “He was coming and going, and then last year he decided to move back here, where he was minding his father. He took a year out of his school in Cork.
“For the search, his brother, Tom, was here and his brother Michael was very much involved. He was giving the guards and coastal rescue all the help they needed. Myself and Eoin Firtéar [another close friend of Mr Cunningham’s] went searching the Dún Mór area first last Monday because we knew he had pots down there, and then it was out every morning at half six, searching. Myself and Eoin took a boat out and we just searched over and over, even onto Beiginis and the Blaskets islands.
“Malachaí Mac Amhlaoibh volunteered to co-ordinate the local boys, and he took a mobile number for every single person and we set up a WhatsApp group called John’s Search. It’s still active, and lighting up with people sending nice messages. There were probably 50, 60 people in the group, and Malachaí broke them up into groups and sent them to different locations.
“There were so many people involved, Pádraig Kearney was another man very much involved, he was actually snorkelling around the area to see if he could see anything.
“John’d talk to anyone, he was a very funny guy, and big into sport. It was very easy to like him. If there was a stranger in a bar, he’d make them off, chat with them – he was very happygo-lucky and laid back, I’d say not much used to worry him.”
While very much a lover of all sports, Mr Cunningham was particularly passionate about surfing, and Gearóid explained that he even travelled a far as Indonesia to indulge this passion.
His neighbour, Eoin Firtéar, described him as tremendously helpful whenever his assistance was called upon.
“There was no badness in him, not a bad bone in his body, and he was aalways there for you as a neighbour,” Eoin explained. pexplained.
“He used to give us a hand if we were doing bits around the farm, and he’d go fishing with me here and there – whether to help out or just spend the day.
“There was a massive, massive effort to find him. It was a great sign of the community and the respect the community had for him.”
After his Funeral Mass in Séipéal Naomh Ghobnait on Saturday evening, those in attendance filled in his grave themselves, as is so traditional in that part of the world. This was after his coffin was walked from the church – about a mile away, Gearóid explained – something which is rarely done but reflected the deep regard in which Mr Cunningham was held.
“We took turns going in under the coffin,” Gearóid said. “We took turns filling in the grave, and those from Cork were amazed at that gesture. We’re still getting calls and texts about it.
“He had a massive love of the area, he cherished the place. He’d be up every morning just looking out over the sea. He was in Heaven back here – I know he’s in Heaven now, but he was certainly in Heaven back here.”
John Cunningham is mourned by his parents, Teresa and Tom; sister, Martina; brothers, Tom and Michael; sisters- and brother-in-law; nieces; nephews; relatives; and many friends.
His family expressed deep gratitude to everyone who assisted in the search, and when making Funeral arrangements they requested that donations, if desired, could be made to Irish Coast and Cliff Rescue or Mallow Search and Rescue.