1996/99
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Tears as Muiréad is brought to her final resting place
8 April 1998
THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF HIT-AND-RUN VICTIM
Tom Sheil
THROUGH A LANDSCAPE ablaze with yellow gorse and washed by April showers, a sad cortege accompanied the remains of Westport teenager Muiréad Sadler to their final resting place yesterday (Tuesday).
Despite the mildness of the Spring day and the promise of approaching summer, pain was everywhere, in the grief-etched faces of the bereaved family and the tear burned eyes of devastated and uncomprehending schoolpals.
Earlier, in St. Patrick's Church, Islandeady, Archbishop Michael Neary, a first cousin of Muiréad's mother, Noreen, tried to make sense for mourners of that such the earth life of such a vibrant, intelligent and loving being had been so suddenly terminated. "Our human hearts are heavy grief", Dr. Neary stated."They cry out at a time like this."
The Archbishop assured Muiréad's shattered parents, Liam and Noreen; her brothers Eoin and Conal and sister, Una, as well as her grandmother and other relatives:"In the midst of the deepest human suffering, God is not absent".
Dr. Neary added he was certain the deep faith of the Sadlers, combined with the prayers and support of the community, would make it possible for the family to face up to the tragedy with hope in their hearts.
The depth and scope of Muiréad's intelligence and talents was evidenced by some of the gifts brought to the altar by some of her Transition Year classmates at Mount St, Michael Secondary School in Claremorris.
One grieving pal recalled her"as incredibly gifted" both at home and and at school with a tremendous love and flair for languages as well as sport.
Amongst the symbols of the 15 year old's life brought to the altar were her hockey stick (Muiréad played for Connacht); her All-Ireland medal for volleyball and a holy water font inscribed with the family name which she had made herself.
The young hit and run victim was laid to rest in Islandeady Graveyard, an ancient cemetery built on what was formerly an island in Bilberry Lake. Muiréad's mother, Noreen, was from the Cloggernagh area while her dad, Liam, who is Principal of Rice College, is a native of Donegal.
The funeral represented a vast outpouring of grief but perhaps the most emotional moment of all came when the choir sang the uplifting but utterly poignant:"The Wind Beneath my Wings".
