'Our hearts are broken' funeral of Aidan Moffitt is told
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There was mourning at the crossroads in the North Roscommon village of Lisacul on Monday as hundreds of people lined the roads in silent tribute for Aidan Moffitt’s funeral Mass, held in the little Church of Christ the King.
Mr Moffitt was a character who lived his life to the full, always putting his family and friends before his own needs, even though he was successful in his working life, he was first and foremost a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend.
Hs mother Kathleen, accompanied by his sister Sharon and brothers Christy and Gerard, shook her head in disbelief as the coffin of her youngest son was wheeled to the altar to the strains of Adele’s 'Someone Like You'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar were represented by their aide-de-camp Cmdt Claire Mortimer
A Roscommon flag was laid before the altar, symbolising Mr Moffitt's love his native county. An auctioneer’s mallet symbolised his passion for his work and the briefcase represented efforts to try to "organise Aidan".
A set of jockey silks of his The Real Deal syndicate represented his love of horse-racing, in particular his horse Ashjan, whose win at Downpatrick in 2017 was an immense source of pride for Mr Moffitt and who coincidentally won at Carlisle last Saturday.
A Moffitt family crest represented his great love of family, while a statue of Our Lady symbolised his "very strong" faith.
Chief celebrant Fr Micheal McManus told the packed church that when he first heard of Aidan’s death last Tuesday he was "left in a state of shock, just like the rest of the country".
"Tuesday, the 12th of April is a morning I will never forget. There are no words to describe the grief that his death has caused his family and friends. Words fail at this time and yet all we have is words to show our sorrow and our support,” he told mourners.
He urged them not to let the manner of Mr Moffitt's death be the lasting memory they had of him. “Aidan was a character who lived his life to the full, always putting his family and friends before his own needs, even though Aidan was successful in his working life, he was first and foremost a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend.
"His care for his mother Kathleen was exemplary, constantly on the phone to make sure she was alright. His mother would often ring him to ask him to bring home a loaf of bread. Now it mightn’t be the freshest, but it did come home,” he joked.
Canon Liam Devine read out a letter from Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin at the start of the Mass, in which he pointed to Aidan’s interest in politics, first fostered by his late father Tom. “Politics calls for generous sacrifices and the service of others, for the sake of the common good. Not everybody is willing to make those sacrifices,” he said.
Fine Gael members, wearing white armbands, had formed a guard of honour as the hearse bearing Mr Moffitt’s remains turned into the churchyard.
Martin McMahon gave a moving eulogy in which he spoke of Mr Moffitt’s love of family, horse-racing and his friends but it was his kindness that marked him above all else.
“Our hearts are broken. The indescribable pain and suffering that has been visited on the Moffitt family cannot be defined or put into words,” he said, describing Aidan’s family as “empty and exhausted” in the wake of his death.
Sligo/Leitrim TD and Minister of State Frank Feighan and former TD and Minister of State John Perry were among figures from the financial and political worlds in the North-West who attended the burial of Mr Moffitt in Lisacul cemetery, across the road from his childhood home of Hazelfort House, Corrahoguile.
The 42-year-old was found dead at his home in Cartron Heights, Sligo town, on Monday April 11. Michael Snee, aged 58, was found dead at his home in City View Apartments a day later. A 22 year-old-man has been charged with their deaths.