Funeral hears how murder raised many ‘unanswered questions’

By Alan Rodgers

HUNDREDS of people have attended the funeral in Dunamore of murder victim, Damian Heagney.

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

Parish Priest, 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 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 had 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 beeds found in Damian’s car.