Many hundreds, young and old, gathered to pay a final farewell to popular young man Padraic O’Brien who died tragically last week. Hardly a word was spoken as thousands of people assembled at the Church of Our Lady of Knock, Lackagh for his funeral. The stunned silence that echoed throughout the area clearly demonstrated the shock and sadness that the entire community felt for the O’Brien family. Padraic was the youngest son of Alice and the late Paddy O’Brien of Monard. He worked with a well-known company outside Athenry and was popular and well liked by all. Padraic’s untimely passing came just a week before the fourth anniversary of the untimely death of his father, Paddy, who was a much-loved person in the music scene around Galway and beyond.
Padraic played underage hurling with Turloughmore and members of Turloughmore Hurling Club, Turloughmore Gun Club and many other organisations joined in a guard of honour at his funeral.
Padraic’s remains were removed from Lackagh Morturay Chapel to the Church of Our Lady of Knock, Lackagh. At the requiem Mass chief celebrant Fr. Des Walsh was joined by Fr. Gussie O’Brien, Fr. Joe O’Brien, PP Abbeyknockmoy, Fr. Paddy Mullins, PP Cummer, Fr. Tommy Byrne, CSSR and Fr. Brendan Dunning SMA. Burial took place in Lackagh Cemetery. Padraic is survived by his mother Alice, brothers James and John and sisters Laura, Noreen and Aislng, nephew and nieces, uncles and aunts, grand-aunt, sister in-law, relatives, neighbours and friends.
