The Funeral Mass for Tadgh Farrell, the four-year-old child who was killed alongside his grand-aunt in an Offaly arson attack, has taken place.
Tadgh had been visiting his grand-aunt and grandmother at the house in Castleview Park on Saturday evening when the suspected petrol bomb attack took place. His funeral Mass was held in St. Mary’s Church in Edenderry on Friday morning. Fr Gregory Corcoran, parish priest, celebrated the Mass, read a moving eulogy from Tadgh’s mother at the Mass.
The hundreds of mourners gathered heard that she would find her son “in every bit of sunshine.”
Local people lined the length of Tadgh’s final journey to the Church, as businesses closed for the length of the funeral to show their respects, with locals forming a guard of honour on the streets.
Fr Corcoran told grief-stricken mourners: “Today we gather in sadness, we gather in shock to bid our farewells to Tadgh. This day last week, Tadgh was looking forward to watching the Late Late Toy Show. Today we gather in St Mary’s to make our farewell to Tadgh, that he may have peace with God, our father.”
“Today is all about Tadgh, all about his family,” he added “He’s the centre of our thoughts, the centre of our prayers, he’s the centre of our gathering here at St Mary’s.”
A eulogy penned by Tadgh’s mother Shannon and read by Fr Corcoran said:
“My sweet Tadgh, you were only four years old but you filled a lifetime’s worth of love into those years. You had a smile that could light any room, a laugh that could make even the heaviest days feel lighter, a spirit so bright that everyone who met you felt it.
“You taught us what joy really looked like. You taught us what love really feels like. You taught us how precious every moment can be. I love you, Tadgh. Rest gently, my sweet little boy, my only boy. I will find you in every bit of sunshine.”
Tadgh’s uncle Dylan also paid tribute to his nephew in a eulogy read out by the priest. Mourners heard that from the moment Tadgh came into the family, “he brought a light that was unmistakable.”
“He had a way of making people smile, whether through his laughter, his kindness, or simply in the way he showed up in the world. One thing everyone knew about Tadgh was how much he loved dirt bikes.
“The boy could talk about bikes for hours and I can’t even count how many times he came to me, pestering and pleading, ‘will you open the shed, Dyl?’ and every single time, he just wanted to see the bikes, touch them, fix them, learn about them. Even when it annoyed me in the moment, looking back, those memories are precious. “
It added: “Today we gather with heavy hearts to honour and remember someone we loved deeply; my nephew Tadgh. His time with us was far too short but the impact he left on our lives will last forever.”
“His excitement, his passion, his determination; they were part of who he was. Tadgh, losing you has left a space in our lives that nothing can fill. But as we grieve, we also remember the light he brought into the world; his enthusiasm, his love, all of it stays with us.
“Today we say goodbye to Tadgh far too soon but we also say ‘thank you’ Tadgh for the memories. Thank you for the laughter, thank you for the love you gave without even realising it. Tadgh, we will carry you with us always, may you rest in peace. My little man, my best friend, my nephew, Tadgh. Today, tomorrow and always, your uncle Dyl.”
Gardaí are still investigating the circumstances of the attack. It is understood the house had been targeted previously.
Yesterday, Tadgh’s 27-year-old father, Aaron Holt, was denied compassionate bail to attend the funeral of his son. Holt, who is awaiting sentence for serious drug offences, made an urgent application before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday afternoon.
The court heard that Holt is on remand awaiting sentence at Tullamore Circuit Court in January over a seizure of €32,910 worth of heroin near his home.
Funeral arrangements for Mary Holt have yet to be announced.
Gardaí have issued public appeals for information into the attack, releasing footage of the moment the house in Castleview Park was attacked. It is understood that teenagers are suspected of carrying out the fatal attack, one of whom is thought to be a minor.