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Niall Carson

Emotional funeral held for boy (13) who died after schoolyard incident

The funeral was told that ‘he had the kind of smile that drew the best out of you’.

THE FUNERAL OF 13-year-old Oisín McGrath has taken place in Fermanagh.

He died on Friday – just three days after he was hurt playing football during his lunch break on Monday.

The GAA player is understood to have suffered a traumatic head injury. A 17-year-old school student was questioned by the PSNI and later released on bail pending further inquiries.

Pupils from his school at St Michael’s College in Enniskillen lined the route of the funeral and his classmates wore GAA jerseys draped over their uniforms.

A jersey was also placed on top of his coffin.

Oisin McGrath funeral Niall Carson Niall Carson

His parents Sharon and Nigel led the mourners at the funeral mass at St Patrick’s Church in Holywell, Belcoo at 11 am.

The Principal Celebrant Father Séamus Quinn told the funeral mass that, “Oisín was also gifted with a lovely personality, a great sense of humour, was a natural communicator and always willing to help others.

He was quiet and easy to be with, with the kind of smile that drew the best out of you, whether you were young or old.

Oisin McGrath funeral The order of service at the funeral of Oisin McGrath Niall Carson Niall Carson

“While Oisín was a leader…he wasn’t in love with the position of leader and, in fact, Oisín would always take time and make place for people who might not have found it as easy to achieve as he did himself.

“He had the ability to found friendships with those who didn’t share his own passions and interests. He was a people person.

“The grief of his young classmates from St. Michael’s, and his fellow team mates from sport say more than any adult could ever get across.”

Oisin McGrath funeral Classmates wearing Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) jerseys attend the funeral of Oisin McGrath. Niall Carson Niall Carson

Father Quinn reached out to Oisin’s parents during the mass saying, “Sharon and Nigel, you must feel crushed by the enormity of the loss of your young son.

Oisin McGrath funeral Oisin McGrath's parents Sharon and Nigel and two younger sisters Ciana and Cairenn Niall Carson Niall Carson

The flame of your spirit must waver at times in the face of it all…know that your young saint, Oisín, who never did anything bad or evil in his life, but consistently did everything he could to show gentle love to those around him, will be with you to accompany you in the time to come.

It was mentioned how Oisín recorded himself playing the violin on his iPod and kept it playing in his room during practice time and would be just actually lifting it as his father came up to see how he was getting on.

Oisin McGrath funeral Oisin McGrath's father Nigel (centre right) carries Oisin's coffin during his funeral at St Patrick's Church Niall Carson Niall Carson

His football coach said, “He leaves behind a bunch of friends, I have no doubt they have made great memories with Oisín in their time together.”

When the Primary 7 pupils were leaving St. Columban’s they were asked to take a private empty page and write words to describe each other. The words used to describe Oisín by his classmates were: “Generous, helpful, giddy, funny, cool, good at football & music and a great friend”.

Oisin McGrath funeral Oisin McGrath's father Nigel (front right) carries Oisin's coffin during his funeral at St Patrick's Church Niall Carson Niall Carson

Oisin’s organs have been donated to save five lives.

Father Quinn said, “Because of their incredibly selfless and faith based decision, Oisín’s falling on the ground and dying like the grain of wheat has brought life to five other human beings.”

Read: Tributes paid as 13-year-old injured during school incident dies in hospital>

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19 Comments
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    Mute TomTraubert
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    Apr 13th 2022, 1:38 AM

    Important to remember that it’s a legal requirement on the part of the school, they’re only doing their jobs in terms of safeguarding, isn’t that what we want? tusla will then follow up on each one and if covid was the reason then that’ll be that. No need to assume tusla is going to copy and paste a load of care orders and take a pile of kids away from their parents. Let’s see in 6months time what actually happens.

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    Mute Atlas' burden
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    Apr 13th 2022, 2:37 AM

    @TomTraubert: I agree completely, my daughter has missed a lot of days due to the department of health. Headache, sore throat for example. She’s in 6th class so was chancing her arm. A few antigen and pcr tests have stopped that. Although she was a close contact twice so that was 10 days gone

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Apr 13th 2022, 2:50 AM

    @TomTraubert: At the same time people were told to stay home from work if sick and keep the kids home from school if sick, rather than spread the virus, which was the correct thing to do. If TUSLA are taking it on themselves to chase down parents who followed health advice, they need to have a chat with the minister of health, who to my knowledge, is who they answer to, rather than take on tasks to justify their jobs. Thankfully, I’ve had no dealings with them, but I know several families that had, and what I have been told is they usually work on the assumption of guilty until proven innocent.

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Apr 13th 2022, 2:56 AM

    @Joe_X: If It is the schools that are doing the reporting as per the headline, then the Minister for Health needs to pull the Minister for Education on it since the teachers are going against public health advice and wasting everyone’s time.

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    Mute TomTraubert
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    Apr 13th 2022, 11:05 AM

    @Joe_X: no. But let’s for a minute consider what would happen if schools didn’t report or just took the word of parents that kept their kids at home etc. There’s no way of then knowing what kids were legitimately off school or those that weren’t. Some kids with serious problems would then fall through the cracks. Then we’d have people like you demanding the minister and all in Tusla be hung drawn and quartered on O’Connell bridge. Don’t look at everything as being a big bad corrupt wanting to destroy the ordinary man arm of the state. Nobody can ever win with that attitude.

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    Mute TomTraubert
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    Apr 13th 2022, 11:06 AM

    @TomTraubert: and it’s sad that I have to clarify this but I’m neither a teacher nor do I work for Tusla.

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    Mute Justin Gillespie
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    Apr 13th 2022, 7:33 AM

    Doesn’t take much to stress some people these days.

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    Mute Daniel Andrews
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    Apr 13th 2022, 10:32 AM

    @Justin Gillespie: can you blame them with the way our government operates.

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    Mute Tom's
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    Apr 13th 2022, 3:31 AM

    You can be sure anything to do with the public service will be a mess.

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    Mute Laura Ni Hearga
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    Apr 13th 2022, 7:46 AM

    It is a legal requirement on the part of the school to report absences over a set amount of days. They are just doing their jobs.

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    Mute me
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:38 AM

    These parents need to get a grip and apply some common sense. Article should be about Schools following their legally required protocols and how it’s a good thing.

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    Mute Paul Rooney
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    Apr 13th 2022, 11:37 PM

    @me: how many teachers weren’t doing their job ‘teaching’ but out with ‘Covid’ !!!

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    Mute Shane Fleming
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:37 AM

    The headline should say parents have no need to be stressed. It explains it all in the article. Typical journal trying its best to turn into a rag.

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    Mute Melissa OHara
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    Apr 13th 2022, 10:38 AM

    My child had missed over 20 days precovid due to illnesses. So we were reported as per regulation. I never heard anything from Tusla because guess what? They have bigger problems to deal with! If your child has been out for genuine reasons nobody is coming knocking on your door. They are looking for the child who misses every ‘payday’ because the parents are on the piss. Or just never goes to school. There are enough true neglect & abuse cases out there to keep them busy. I wish this rule had been in place when i was a child.

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    Mute Tom's
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:51 AM

    No mention of reporting the teachers for so many absences with no replacements in important exam years.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Apr 13th 2022, 9:14 AM

    @Tom’s: Well ‘Tom’s’ if you have evidence that a teacher is behaving in a fraudulent manner then there are mechanisms to report them. I’d imagine it’s the evidence part you’re stuggling with is it?

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    Mute Tom's
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    Apr 13th 2022, 9:26 AM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin:
    What are you on about “fraudulent”.I’m talking about many teacher absences with no replacements.
    Your very defensive I must have touched a nerve.

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    Mute Mark Walsh
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    Apr 13th 2022, 7:51 AM

    Typically Teachers making a hash of things
    Look at our government……full of teachers and still making a hash of things

    32
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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:09 AM

    @Mark Walsh: Try reading the article!

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    SM
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    Mute SM
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:42 AM

    @Mark Walsh: Cupid Stunt.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 13th 2022, 9:41 AM

    @Mark Walsh: Eh?? What article did you read?

    26
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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:56 AM

    I had to read the first part twice. All it says basically is parent totally oblivious to school policy and legal obligations. Issue is with the rule. I actually emailed norma on this a year ago as we missed 17 days for one isolation period following a household covid outbreak. She “has recieved my email and taken the content into consideration”. My point to her was reporting all the covid leave makes the safety net for kids who need this system less effective. Not the stress on the parents.

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    Mute Mogh Roith
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:31 AM

    So parents need to be spoonfed now as well as their children.

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    Mute John Moloney
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    Apr 13th 2022, 8:13 AM

    The traditional family is no longer supported by capitalist greed so the state is creating bodies such as Tusla. Bit by bit the state will gain more control of our children.The traditional family with one parent working and the other surrounded by a big flock of children was nature’s way and provided the most stable happy children.

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Apr 13th 2022, 1:05 PM

    @John Moloney: hilarious that you think women can be forced back into the kitchen to surround herself with a ‘big flock of children’ and to be beholden to misogynists like yourself. I’d ask the children born ‘out of wedlock’ how stable and happy their childhoods were.

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    Mute John Moloney
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    Apr 13th 2022, 1:52 PM

    @EillieEs: I never mentioned women.

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