The church for the funeral is ‘packed’ as hundreds gather to mourn Alan McCluskey
MOURNERS at the first funeral of a victim of the Louth crash have heard that he was “caring” and “looked out for his friends”.

The funeral is taking place this morning with President Catherine Connolly in attendance and tractors lining the street in a touching tribute to the youngster.

Alan McCluskey, 23, died along with his girlfriend Chloe McGee, 23, and three other pals in the horrific crash last weekend.

Hundreds this morning gathered to mourn the tragic young man at St Peter and Paul’s Church in his hometown of Drumconrath in Co Meath.

Local parish priest Father Finian Connaughton confirmed there were “no more seats” available in the church, encouraging the overflow to gather at a local community centre where a livestream is being broadcast, while thousands more watched from home online.

Before his funeral mass, dozens of tractors lined the main street of Drumconrath in Co Meath as crowds lined the village streets.

Family members placed their hands on the wooden coffin, bearing a yellow sign with Alan’s name on it, as it was carried into the packed church.

During the service, mourners brought symbols which represented Alan’s full and varied life.

Pictures of Alan with his loving family and his girlfriend Chloe were presented at the altar, representing those at the centre of his life.

Alan’s work boots, his hard hat, his favourite tape and a Fence Craft logo showed the pride he took in his craft and dedication.

A license plate, telling how tragic Alan is “forever 23” – made by his closest friends – demonstrated his love for cars and machinery.

Models of a John Deere and a Ford 7010, and some farmyard animals, showed Alan’s love of farming and the fields.

A business class Emirates flight ticket and photos of him on his travels, represented his love for experiences and seeing the world.

Mourners also brought up some of Alan’s favourite records, including AC/DC and Luke Combs and his drum sticks, were brought up.

These show Alan’s love for music, the songs that lifted him and the soundtrack to many moments of his life.

LOVE OF FRIENDS

Father Finian Connaughton thanked those who had attended to carry out the “painful exercise” of saying farewell to “a young man, a son, a brother, a friend, and to commend him to the care of Almighty God”.

He said the sense of disappointment and loss at his death was “beyond words”.

The community had gathered in grief, anger and confusion, and “carrying a burden that at times, seems unmanageable and almost overwhelming”, he said.

“Even as we carry out the funeral rituals, there is still an air of disbelief, incomprehension that this is happening, happening to someone who sat in these benches two Sundays ago, someone we saw driving his van down the street a very short time ago.”

Connaughton praised Alan’s love and support for his friends, recalling that at only the age of 14 he had supported a friend who had “got in with wrong crowd”.

The priest said: “Even at that stage he was on the lookout for his friends, a wonderful Christian virtue of looking after ourselves, but also looking after the neighbour.”

The priest, who baptised Alan, also remembered his devotion to the church and his family, saying that he used to come to mass with his parents when he was a young teen.

He said: “I know he adored his father and his mother, Bernie and Martin. It was quite evident in the house.”

TRAGIC LOSS

Five youngsters, all under 25, lost their lives in a head-on horror tragedy that has stunned the country.

The pals died after their Volkswagen Golf was involved in a collision with a Toyota Land Cruiser on a winding stretch of road near Dundalk, Co Louth, on Saturday night.

Alan McCluskey died along with his girlfriend Chloe, who was from Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan.

The other casualties were Shay Duffy, 21, also from Carrickmacross, Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee, Co Louth, and Chloe, 21, from Lanarkshire in Scotland.

Dylan’s funeral is being held at 2pm this afternoon at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Ardee, with burial afterwards in Old St Mary’s Cemetery.

Wakes were held for the Irish road crash victims this week.

A memorial service was also held in Dundalk on Wednesday night for Scottish student Ms Hipson.

The gathering for Chloe’s family and friends was held in the Eternity Room of Quinn’s Funeral Homes.