By Alan Rodgers
TEAMMATES of the 21-year-old Sixmilecross man tragically killed in a car accident at the weekend formed a guard of honour at his funeral yesterday (Wednesday).
Mark McGirr, of Whitebridge Road, was buried in the adjoining cemetery after Requiem Mass in St Mary's Church, Dunmoyle. Upwards on 1,000 mourners heard tributes paid to Mr McGirr who lost his life in the crash outside Aughnacloy in the early hours of last Sunday morning.
Two other people in the car at the time remain critically ill in hospital, while another two who also remain in hospital are not thought to be suffering from life-threatening injuries. A former pupil of St Oliver Plunkett's Primary School in Beragh and St Ciaran's, Ballygawley, Mr McGirr worked in his father's engineering firm.
distraught
His sister, Carol, said her family had been left 'absolutely distraught' by the accident.
"It is such a tragedy. We are a really close family and we are all best friends. Our hearts are breaking and I don't know what we are going to do," she said.
Mr McGirr had also only recently resumed playing gaelic football with his local Beragh Red Knights club.
Its Chairman, Gerard Treacy, said that the young player had been substitute goalkeeper when they played in Division Three of the All-County League just 24 hours before his death.
"Mark represented the club at underage level and then came back to play this season along with his brother, Peter. I know that he had ambitions of breaking into our senior team," he said.
"From an early age Mark had a great love for doing goals and had represented us at all levels.
"Obviously this is a terrible blow to all those within the club. But our heartfelt and deepest sympathies go out to his brother, Peter, who also plays with us, his father who is a club sponsor and the entire family."
The Red Knights club presented the family with a goalkeeper's jersey as a mark of respect, while local councillor, Seamus Shields, said Mr McGirr's death had once again plunged his parish of Errigal Ciaran into mourning.
"Mark worked in the family engineering business along with his father and I know the sympathy of this entire community will be extended to this well-respected family on their sad loss," he said.
Cllr Shields also expressed his hope that the others injured in the crash make a speedy recovery.
