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Updated 12.30pm
THE FUNERAL MASS for Larry and Martina Hayes has taken place this morning in Athlone, with parish priest Fr Liam Devine describing the popular couple’s deaths as “devastating” and something that “no human experience of grief and loss could prepare a family for”.
The mass for Larry (56) and Martina (55) was held at 11 am at the church of St Peter and Paul in the town.
The couple had been taking a final walk along the beach at the Sousse resort before flying home when killer Seifeddine Rezgui began his attack last Friday. They had been married for 32 years.
“For some time now the violence of misguided ISIS terrorist fanatics have invaded our living rooms in a sanitised, sterilised way,” said Fr Devine in his homily.
We never thought it would trouble us here in Ireland, so far away.
Today it invades our town in two coffins.
The violence is now at our own door.
Fr Devine described Larry and Martina as “soulmates” who went everywhere together.
“They shared a common interest in gardening. Martina’s home was her castle,” he said.
She was a brilliant housekeeper. You would be hard pressed to find a speck of dust in the house. Efforts to find fingerprints in the house proved futile, such was the pristine state of everything.
The mass heard how both Larry and Martina were from well-known Athlone families.
“Larry, or Lonnie as he was known, was the youngest of five, two girls and three boys. They were from Altown here in Athlone. Martina Kelly, a native of Kiltoom in South Roscommon, was the youngest of eleven, eight girls and three boys,” said Fr Devine.
They were private and highly respected people.
Fr Devine saved some measure of condemnation in his speech for killer Rezgui, declaring “the massacre of innocents is always an abominable crime”.
It is impossible to get inside the mind of someone who would carry out such an abominable act of violence. We cannot judge people like that by our values and standards.
In an eerie sense Athlone is twinned with Sousse and Ireland is twinned with Tunisia through the sudden and violent deaths of Martina and Larry.
The couple are to be buried in nearby Coosan cemetery after the service.
The two, along with Meath woman Lorna Carty, were among 38 dead as a result of the last Friday’s atrocity.
Eight people are currently being held in Tunisia in connection with the attack.
The couple are survived by daughter Sinéad, together with Larry’s brothers Seamus and Michael and sisters Ann and Della, and Martina’s brothers John Joe, Tommy and Billy, her sisters Evelyn, Ita, Della, Patricia, Pauline, Maureen and Veronica, uncles Andy and Steve, and many relatives and friends.
Lorna Carty will be laid to rest tomorrow following a mass at 12 noon at the Church of the Assumption, Robinstown, Co Meath.
Originally published 07.23am
To those who complain, “Why do we still need Pride?:
Because places like this still exist and could be a death sentence for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community.
@Honorary Derry Girl: Were there protests about the death sentence for homosexuality in many Muslim majority countries at pride? I’m all for anyone living their lives however they want free of bigots, but the failure of pride to call this out is hypocrital. Maybe they do bring it up and I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen it.
@D74Life: That’s a very good point- I agree that should be done but while we’re at it, we could also include countries right within the EU. Pride is pretty much a large positive demonstration of sexual identity but it should also be a message to the world that we’re all equal without singling out a particular religion or country. Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community can be an executable offence in Christian countries like Uganda as well as Muslim countries like Iran.
@Honorary Derry Girl: Absolutely, and it’s great to see pride highlighting Hungry. They’re not alone in Eastern Europe or Russia of course either. My point was just it’s relatively easy to have a go at European mostly white countries. Doing so about Muslim countries is something that people shy away from for fear of being called racist. Even those these countries literally kill homosexuals. I’m not having a go at pride, it’s a difficult subject. But unless it’s addressed, the accusation of hypocrisy will always be there.
@Honorary Derry Girl: Rubbish. As an old git I have know about gays since I was in high school. They are just like everyone else, free to choose their sexual partner unless it is coercive. I was taught to embrace all humanity in its many forms. Labels are not conducive to understanding.
It says a lot about their sexual insecurities and their fragile beliefs when a cartoon kiss upsets them. There is no place on this planet for unfounded hatred of others that are simply living their lives.
If you have no problem with a man kissing a woman in a Disney movie (especially unconscious women like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty) but have a problem with two girls doing the same thing, you’re a homophobic bigot.
Disney has its many issues but fair play to them for this. Yes they are hypocritical but this is a start. Hopefully they will continue with this
@HarveyLemonade: Compare that with Warners cutting a spoken reference to a same sex relationship in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore for release in China.
Ban it over a single kiss? Wtf is wrong with these countries.
It’s Cancel Culture. PC gone mad. So woke.
I never see them take issue with a straight kiss in children’s cartoons. Same with radio discussions; never a topic taking issue with straight people.
@Dean: I think your getting confused. This is right wing conservative censorship. Religious fundamentalism.
Can we not just let Children……. BE CHILDREN….FFS
@Dónal Ó Keeffe: But then they might grow up as adults who aren’t available to be bartered off for a fee to their brothers or uncles.
@Dónal Ó Keeffe: Won’t someone please think of the children!
Dónal “Helen Lovejoy” Ó Keeffe
@Dónal Ó Keeffe: and how are they not being children? Are you suggesting there’s something wrong with the movie?
@Dónal Ó Keeffe: what are you talking about???
I wonder what the anti-woke crusaders make of this. Are they still supporting fReE sPeEcH or are they now aligning their views with conservative Islam, presumably under the guise of their usual “let kids be kids” shtick?
Disney need to keep the kiss in it as in this way at least it might be watched out of curiosity. Going by the reviews, it’s the only interesting thing in the film.
Too bad, how sad. No one is forcing theatres in Malaysia to show this film. People are free to watch or not watch if they want.
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