First of three tragic teenage drowning victims laid to rest
Comforting words: Bishop Michael Duignan
THE Bishop of Galway Michael Duignan said that the deaths of three teenagers on the outskirts of the city last weekend when their car entered the River Corrib had shocked the country.
Speaking at the funeral Mass of the youngest of the three victims, 16-year-old John Keenan Sammon, Bishop Duignan said it was difficult to come to terms with the triple tragedy.
He offered his sympathy to the teenager’s family, and also the families of Christy Stokes, 19, and Wojcieck Panek, 17, who also died in the incident which happened near Menlo Pier in the early hours of Saturday morning.
‘Words at times like this fail us. They are shallow and incapable of expressing the depth of sadness and loss. I would just like to assure Elizabeth and John’s family and
Club formed a guard of honour
his friends that we are with you in these almost unbearable times. John’s life, with so much hope, was cut short suddenly,’ said Bishop Duignan.
A keen boxer, John Keenan Sammon was due to go travel to England next week to join his older brother Martin, with whom he had spent last summer.
He had won a county boxing championship two weeks ago and members of his Olympic Boxing Club formed a guard of honour as his coffin was brought in a white carriage with four white horses to the Church of the Resurrection in Ballinfoyle for his Requiem Mass.
Sympathy was expressed to his parents Elizabeth and John and his siblings Kathleen, Aoife, Martin, Kelly, Damien, Julianne and Thomas.
One of his boxing coaches, Mike Mongan, said that the 16-year-old was known as ‘a gentle giant’ who trained hard and had a promising boxing career, having joined the Olympic Boxing Club when he was ten.
‘John was easy come, easy go and you had to keep the pressure on and the weight managed ahead of big fights.
‘This day anyway, he went off to the kitchen for water and when I checked up on him he had crumbs all over his mouth, swearing black and blue he had just had a drink of water. Big Bad John had wolfed half a packet of biscuits he found up in the press.’
His boxing gloves and boots and club jacket were among the items brought to the altar in the packed church where hundreds of mourners were told by Fr Kevin Blade, who knew John since he was a baby, that the deaths had caused widespread grief throughout the country.
‘This church has seen many sad, tragic funerals, but few have been as profoundly sad and sorrowful as the funerals of two young parishioners and the tragic death of three young people. It has shocked all of Galway, indeed all of the country,’ said Fr Blade. He said that John had made a huge impact in his short life.
‘We all knew John was a unique and extraordinary young lad, full of life and vitality. He was gentle in his relationships with others, gifted with a good sense of humour and attentive to the needs of others.’
Fr Blade said he knew John since he was a toddler, always known as Baby John, and always smiling.
‘He would ring my doorbell. I would open the door, and there was Baby John. He would stand there with his little hand held out opened. I would put some sweets in his hand and he would smile and say thanks.
‘He was a big, gentle child and, in his mother’s words, he was her pride and joy.’
Fr Blade said he had spent time with the family on Monday and John’s mother Elizabeth was keen to thank his national school, St Francis’ in Tirellan and his secondary school in Moneenageisha, for all they did for her son.
Dozens of mourners wore blue T-shirts imprinted with and image of John, while others carried large photographs of him and his friend and boxing colleague Christy.
Traffic in Galway came to a standstill as the horse-drawn carriage made its way across the Quincentenary Bridge over the River Corrib in which the three teenagers lost their lives, and John was later laid to rest at Rahoon Cemetery.
His friend Christy Stokes will also be buried there after his funeral Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Ballinfoyle later today.
The third victim of the tragedy, Wojciech Panek from Graiguenamanagh in Kilkenny, will be cremated on Friday.
‘He was a big, gentle child’