“He had so much to live for” - priest tells heartbroken mourners at funeral of teenager Ryan Riera Danello
far and near who attended his wake and funeral mass, a wonderful celebration A SENSE of shock followed by a sear- in word and music of his life, ing sense of sadness has engulfed the which took place at the Church of the Ballymote area this Christmas as his Immaculate Conception, Ballymote loved ones and his community struggles on Saturday. to come to terms with the sudden death At his funeral mass items were of Ryan Riera Danello following a road brought forward to give thanks for his traffic collision. short but very full life which reflected He was just 17 years old. his many interests, gifts and talents: a “His sudden and untimely death has model car, reflecting his love of cars left you and so many others devastated. and all things mechanical; a toy represented To see a young man die, who had so his love of toys; a watch to much to live for, is just terrible,” his local represent happy times spent together; priest told mourners on Saturday at his a flower to represent his great love of funeral in the Church of the Immaculate Christmas and joy; sweets, to represent Conception, Ballymote, on Saturday his favourite food and happy afternoon. times spent together; a prayer to represent Ryan, who lived in Stonepark, his grandfather in heaven and Ballymote, was pronounced dead at his uncle Nelson and grandmother the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Gráinne; the final gift brought forward the Ballymote to Tubbercurry Road on by his step dad, representing Wednesday of last week. love.
Family, friends, neighbours, fellow stu- Celebrant Fr James McDonagh dents and teachers from Coláiste Mhuire PP’s homily during the mass perfectly and Sligo College of Further Education, summed up how people are feeling his work colleagues from Elverys Sports and indeed how they felt about the (Sligo) where he had recently begun young man so many are mourning: working, were among the hundreds from “When a family member, a close relative or a dear friend dies, words fail us. Something within us is shattered to pieces, we are reduced to tears. “For tears is the only language that can give expression to our grief, our acute sense of loss.
“Grief is the reverse side of the face of love. Love inevitably exposes the human heart to pain and sorrow. “And all of you, Ryan’s loved ones, know first-hand, as we gather with you, stand with you and pray for you, at this sad and difficult time. You know the intense pain and suffering that is part and parcel of all genuinely loving news@sligoweekender.ie
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“We would love to be able to put our hands into your hearts and take away that pain that you are suffering intensely today, growing up here in Ballymote.”
Fr McDonagh spoke about Ryan’s “warm smile” and “the look of devilment on his face” when he would meet him: “We all have happy memories of Ryan, knowing him as a young man. “We especially remember his warm smile and also, that great look of devilment on his face, when you would meet him.
“He was very friendly, good humoured, and a good character, as many of you here today will remember. He had a very gentle nature and was kind and thoughtful in his ways and again only you, his close family and friends, who through the ups and downs of growing up, have come to recognise Ryan’s special qualities and gifts, both as a person and a member of your family.”
Fr McDonagh continued: “He was a kind boy who would always acknowledge you, stop and say hello, would always be mannerly when meeting people at his home, or out chatting. “He loved entertaining people.
“He loved his family very much, also his many close friends and his teachers.
“He had a great talent for playing the guitar. His computer games were one of his biggest hobbies.
“He also had a great love of animals. That is why, after successfully passing his Leaving Certificate in June, to enter into a PLC course in animal veterinary care in Ballinode College. “He loved to attend the gym and he had a great love for cars and for going to car events with Alex, his brother, and his friends. His favourite car was a Mazda RX7.
“He loved travelling and wanted to go to South America with his girlfriend Alicia and his family.
“One of his favourite things to do was to visit his family in Spain.
“Only you, his close family members and friends can fully appreciate his thoughtfulness, his kindness, and how, in his own special way, he enriched all your lives as no other could have done.
“You will always have those special memories of a contented young man, enjoying life to the full,” he said. Trying to rationalise the death of one so young in such heartbreaking circumstances, he said, was difficult. Fr McDonagh sought insight in the Gospel read during Ryan’s funeral mass: “So where are we to turn to now? Where are we to find glints of comfort or hope in this sad situation. “We are gathered in God’s house. By turning to God, and his words, particularly today’s Gospel which I have just read where there are many characters ….. But of those many characters in today’s Gospel, it is Martha who speaks for us today, because she expresses in one line a situation which is ours today, a situation in which we have lost someone who is very dear to us, and that we can do nothing about. “Martha believed that Jesus was a great healer and a miracle worker. She says to Jesus ‘if only you had been here, my brother [Lazarus] would not have died.
“Martha’s words of sad resignation characterise many moments in our own lives which could be captured in the phrase, ‘if only’. ‘If only’ my son didn’t go driving that day he would not have been in a traffic accident. ‘If only’ the circumstances were different, this tragedy could have been avoided, but the circumstances weren’t different, and now we, like Martha, face a tragedy that we cannot escape.”
Citing the example of Martha, he said she moved from hopelessness in the face of death, to trust in someone who loves her deeply and also loves her brother deeply, adding: “Today Martha invites us to do the same as we grieve over the untimely death of Ryan, Martha invites us to trust our lives to the One to whom all things are possible.
“Martha tells us that with God there are no ‘if onlys’.
He said that through our faith we can face the future, despite the temptation to despair following this terrible tragedy: “There is no answer outside our faith in God.”
Interment followed immediately afterwards in St Columba’s Cemetery, Ballymote.
Ryan is the dearly loved son of Laura Danello and brother of Alex Riera.
Deeply regretted and loved by his father Julian Healy/Riera and stepfather Shane Coy, grandparents Julian Raphael, Rosaleen and Zonia, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, his girlfriend Alicia, fellow classmates and students at Coláiste Muire, Ballymote and at the Sligo College of Further Education, Ballinode; kind neighbours and many friends. He is predeceased by his grandfather José Luis Danello.