Funeral of Belleek crash victim Oisin Gregg takes place

Named after a great Celtic warrior, Osin was also a valued member of the North Fermanagh Young Defenders Flute Band, two of his brothers Callum and Aaron play for Erne Gaels U-16 GAC club, Belleek and Oisin embodied all that is best and good in our lovely land of wood and water.

His native village of Belleek has been shrouded in sadness since the terrible news came through on Thursday night that he had sadly passed away following a road traffic accident near Kesh on June 7.

But a grieving community has held the Gregg and McGonigle families close to its heart in their darkest hour as they said a sad Slán to their beautiful boy who will be forever 18.

Over 1,000 mourners attended his funeral service in Slavin Church-just a few miles from his home in Belleek as a gentle breeze blew up from the broad Lough Erne.

They came from far and wide, united in shock and sadness.

And then around 2.30pm yesterday a low deep well of weeping filled Slavin as his people carried him on his last journey into the lovely old church.

In a heartbreakingly, beautiful, lyrical eulogy Reverend Rebecca began with a touching tribute from Oisin’s family and also made an appeal for people to slow down on our roads.

“Oisin was a very loveable kind boy with a serious love of cars and was one of the most joyful people you could ever meet and liked a good drink.

“He was the life and soul of the party and was a great cub with a big smile for everyone he met-always up for a laugh and a party.

“Oisin was a great friend, he was funny and caring and the very best of company.

“He would do anything for anyone and was always happy and great at lifting the mood.

“Oisin was an amazing cousin, always stuck in the middle of the chaos with the kids and he had the biggest heart-a great role model and the gentlest soul.”

“He had a soul so pure that it was needed in Heaven.”

Reverend Guildea then told the packed congregation that they were gathered to celebrate Oisin’s life even as “we mourn his passing and we want to give thanks for this gift of a son, a nephew, a grandson.”

“Sometimes we take life for granted and we take those we love for granted, but today as we lay to rest a beloved brother, child, friend we are reminded that all life is precious, that every moments we have with those we love is a gift.

“It can all end too quickly and we are here to thank God for the gift of Oisin-to give thanks for what he was to each of us and to place our sorrow in God’s hands and to ask for his help in our grief and to remember together the promise of the Resurrection.

“We did not want to be here as we prayed for Oisin on his hospital bed and I know many of you prayed and we hoped for a different outcome.

“But we hold on to the promise of God’s goodness even in our sadness. 

Reverend Guildea said she did not know Oisin as well as she would like-but he came to his church at the age of four with Gareth his dad and he did the dramas and liked to get “stuck into things.”

“Later I knew him as the big brother who dropped his younger brothers off to Confirmation class and that impressed me because what 18-yea-old lad likes to have that on their social calendar.

“But over the last few days I found out just what a special young person he was, quite the number of friends he had, quite how many lives he touched and how very well liked he was.

“The bishop assures me that this is the first funeral he has seen where the GAA and The Flute Band have provided a guard of honour and that says it all about Oisin as he offered the hand of friendship to everyone and he did not take sides.”

Reverend Guildea said it was her job to bring God into “the midst of our and that is a hard job.”

“ When I think of Oisin’s death and the number of young people who die on our roads  in his part of the world and it grieves the heart of God and it is not part of his plan.

“I know that it has made me think twice about how I drive on the road and I slow down and God’s plan for us in a situation like this is for us to make the changes that makes sure this does not happen again.

“Talk to our politicians, to make changes in our own lives and we need to do it as a community and a nation and not as a guilt trip.

“This young man (Oisin) did not have to be here today.

“I believe that Oisin’s death is something that the Almighty mourns with us and he holds him in his Heavenly embrace.

Reverend Guildea lauded Oisin’s many qualities.

“This was a young man with so many gifs and so much potential.

“He was likeable with many friends and a kind young man who took good care of his sister, brothers and cousins.”

But it was not God’s plan for him to be taken away so soon.

“He was a young man who was skilled with his hands and God created Oisin for a purpose and that purpose was not for him to die on a hospital bed at the age of 18.

“Sadly God had plans that we will not see fulfilled in this world.

“But that does not mean that Oisin’s life was in vain.

“The Bible tells us that God can bring beauty from ashes and light from darkness.

And the decision of his parents Mary and Gareth to donate his organs brought life to others.

“Several people now have a chance of life because of Mary and Gareth’s brave decision to have his organs donated.

“His life has repercussions beyond the grave and that is amazing.”

Reverend Guildea asked how “do we find God in all of this suffering.”?

“We find him on the cross on this Father’s Day as God the Father knew what it was like to lose a son.

“We remember as we lay Oisin in the ground that God watched his only son laid in the tomb and he watched as Mary’s tears fell.

“God is closer than we can imagine in these moments of darkness.

“The Bible tells us that God is close to the broken-hearted.

“But in faith we believe that Oisin will rise again and this is not his last chapter.”

She added that Oisin will stay eternal in the hearts of his loved ones

“In dying Oisin was able to bless the sick with the opportunity to have life.

“He has won the victory and even when the worst was thrown at you, at Oisin’s family you have shown the best of yourselves.”

“You held one another, you held your family together and you have met your grief with love.

“God now holds Oisin in his eternal embrace where nothing will ever cause him pain.

“You will mourn him and why not-the baby you held, the child you played with in the playground-and he is gone from this world and the weeks and the months and years ahead you will feel his absence.

“A better day is coming be it ever so far away-you will see him again.

“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”

Oisin was then taken to his final rest-forever smiling….forever loved….forever young and forever 18…