Funeral held for Cookstown murder victim Damian Heagney

Hundreds of people attended the funeral in Dunamore of murder victim, Damian Heagney, where the priest said the family were left with many ‘unanswered questions’.

The poignant and emotional Requiem Mass took place in St Mary’s Church, where members of the Heagney family including his mother, brother and sister and nieces and nephews, were joined by many from the local parish of Kildress.

Mr Heagney who was reported missing in July was last seen on December 31 last year.

The PSNI subsequently launched a murder inquiry, and carried out searches at three locations in Tyrone, including at a property in Dromore.

The remains of Mr Heagney were subsequently discovered following a search of Cappagh Reservoir.

At the funeral on Tuesday, the Parish Priest of Kildress, Fr Paddy Hughes, told mourners that it was not for anyone to pass judgement on anyone else or take the life of another person.

“In July concerns were raised about Damian and he was reported missing. I felt and prayed, like so many others that he would be found, and that he would not be another person added to the list of the disappeared, leaving his family like many other families, in a limbo,” Fr Hughes said.

“When word spread that a body had been found that was later identified as that of Damian, it was very final for his mother Mary, brother Sean and sister Phyllis and all of the family.

“It was hard to believe that Damian was dead, but at least they have the opportunity to give him a Christian burial and to start the grieving process and to try and bring a sense of closure to the whole thing.

“But the news of Damian’s death leaves a lot of unanswered questions. How could someone do that to another human being, who was responsible and why, and man’s inhumanity to man.”

Items representing Damian’s life were brought to the Altar at the start of the Mass. They include a family photograph, a sod of clay from the family farm, and a pair of Rosary beads found in Damian’s car, and a model car representing his love for ‘flashy cars’.

There was also applause when a reflection was read by a member of the Heagney family at the end of the Mass.