1996/99
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"I forgive you", grieving Dad tells death-crash driver
8 April 1998
By Tom Sheil
A father grieving the tragic loss of his"incredibly gifted" daughter in a hit and run accident told a hushed Church at her funeral yesterday (Tuesday) that he forgave the driver of the vehicle.
Liam Sadler, Principal of Rice College, Westport, in an extraordinarily generous and moving speech, Mr. Sadler revealed that he had sent a note to a person suspected of being involved in the death crash on Saturday night to say his family harboured no grievance or bitterness.
Fifteen year old Muiréad Sadler, a Transition Year student at Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Claremorris, was killed on Saturday night after alighting from a taxi near her home at Sheeaune, Westport, Her body was thrown onto the grass margin and wasn't discovered until after 7 a.m. the following morning, nine hours later.
In his address to mourners at. St. Patrick's Church, Islandeady, Mr. Sadler suggested the media had perhaps been unfair to the vehicle driver involved. He stressed that the family held no grievance.
Mr. Sadler, in his deeply personal contribution, revealed that Muiréad had been adopted. If there was abortion, such a beautiful, loving and talented person would never have been allowed to live and flourish.
He urged the young people present also to keep their faith and cherish their memories of his daughter as he and the rest of his family would.
Many of the mourners were in tears when Mr. Sadler spoke and afterwards spoke of how his words had encouraged and uplifted them. Said one later: "We were all moved by the compassion and eloquence of Muiréad's father. Everybody in the Church was sad and gloomy at first but the faith and strength he showed uplifted us".
Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - April 1998
