Two funeral masses in the North East today are hearing tributes to the five victims of the Louth crash last weekend.
Mass for 23-year-old Dylan Commins is ongoing in Ardee this afternoon, while the funeral of 23-year-old Alan McCluskey took place in Meath this morning.
Their friends Chloe McGee and Shay Duffy will be remembered at their funeral masses tomorrow, while arrangements for the fifth victim, Chloe Hipson have yet to be announced.
Hundreds of people have turned out at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Ardee, including President Catherine Connolly.
Father Francesco Campiello told mourners Dylan had a huge appetite for life. "There are no words”.
"These are the only words that were uttered by most people after what happened last Saturday night. Usually we are full of words to comment all the different aspects of life, but when death appears, and especially a tragic death like this, all our eloquence vanishes and we find ourselves speechless. Sometimes human words are not enough to describe our joy and, in this case, to describe our sorrow. Thus, we are reduced to silence.
"Today, amid this silence, we have proclaimed the Word of God, which is the only Word that can bring meaning and light to this difficult moment. In the first reading we heard a beautiful promise: God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. There is a psalm that says: “You have kept an account of my wanderings; you have kept a record of my tears: are they not written in your book?” All the tears that were shed since last Saturday, and all the tears that will be shed are precious in God’s eyes, and they are not wasted. They will be wiped away. And that same promise continued saying that there will be no more death, mourning or sadness. As the First Reading reminds us today, “Behold, I make all things new”.
"The Lord has really the power to make all things new and to change our mourning into dancing. How can He do that? Because His love is stronger than death. Because Christ is risen! ”Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen”. Christ is risen! Christ died for Dylan - and for each one of us - and rose for him, so that Dylan may have eternal life.
"We have been created for heaven! Do you know how you can tell that you have been created for heaven, for eternity? By the fact that no matter what you achieve, it is never enough. There is always the question “what’s next?” waiting for us. You can win the Champions League, or the F1, or, in the Irish context, the Sam Maguire Cup, but still your heart is longing for something more, still we carry a restlessness inside. This was very clear in Dylan’s life. He was constantly moving: his teachers would know that pretty well. From one sport to the other, from one job to the other, from Ireland to Australia and back. Dylan's life represents very well this restlessness, which deep down is the desire for a full and meaningful life.
"We all share this deep desire, but sometimes we don’t know how we can fulfil it. Saint Augustine said: “You have made us for you, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you”. Finally, Dylan’s heart is at rest, he is with his Heavenly Father and he has found the fullness he was looking for.
"I want to address the last words of my homily in a special to Dylan’s family. Over these last number of days, I have shared with you a bit of my personal experience. Ten years ago a brother of mine died in a car accident at the age of eighteen, so I know what you are going through. What I can tell you is that there is hope! Don’t think that this is the beginning of an endless chapter of sadness in your life. The Lord will do marvels in your life! There is a psalm that says: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes”. The Lord can do great things through the facts that we would normally reject: our failures, our losses, our sickness, even our sins. So don’t reject this Cross. For the life of my family, the death of my brother has really become the corner stone. If you stay close to God, you will see how Dylan will become the corner stone of your marriage and of your whole family.
"And don’t think of Dylan as part of your past only. Think of him as your present and especially as your future. One day you shall see him again."
Eulogy for Dylan Commins - Read by Lauren Commins (Dylan's sister).
"We gather today with broken hearts to remember and to honour someone who brought light, laughter, and adventure into all our lives - Dylan Commins.
"Dylan was born on the 17 April 2002 to Thomas and Denise, brother to Lauren and later Jessica and Sarah. From the very moment he found his feet, he was off. Adventurous doesn’t even begin to describe him. Once he started walking, he never stopped - and that spirit carried him through every chapter of his life.
"He began his schooling in Monastery National School in 2006, though anyone who knew Dylan knew that “sitting still” was never his strong point. He tried his hand at Ardee Athletic Club, Ardee Celtic, and the Sean McDermotts - but let’s be honest, none of that was ever his cup of tea. What he wanted was something real, something practical, something that moved.
"In 2014, he started secondary school in Ardee Community School, and this is where his friendships truly began to grow. School wasn’t exactly his favourite place - unless there was a chance to use his hands. Give Dylan something to build, fix, or take apart, and he was in his element.
"It was during this time that he joined Ardee Boxing Club, and unlike the earlier sports, this one stuck for a bit longer. But then his passion for motocross took over, when he joined Milverton Motocross Club. We as a family travelled to north county Dublin most Sundays to support Dylan with what he loved, he won many a trophy over the years before Covid put a stop to it all.
"And who could forget Transition Year, when Dylan and his two friends, shocked the school by making it to the Mini Company All-Ireland Final with dog beds they made from tyres? It was the most “Dylan” business ever.
"He even landed his first part-time job in quad factor, getting his hands dirty and loving every second of it. And then came what Dylan considered one of the best things that ever happened to him - he didn’t have to sit his Leaving Cert, thanks to COVID-19. Only Dylan could celebrate a global pandemic for getting him out of an exam!
"After school, his life truly began to flourish. He tried many jobs, but following instructions was never something he was fond of. Like his Dad, Dylan wanted to be his own boss. And slowly, that dream began to take shape.
"This was also when the great love of his life - cars - took over completely. Some might even say that his love of cars came before his love of girls. From the age of 14, the Donegal Rally became a yearly pilgrimage, one that never lost its magic for him. He was the real king of the cone, and everyone who knew him knew it.
"Then came one of his bravest decisions - heading off to Australia. Denise’s heart broke watching him go, but they all knew he’d find his way back each June. In Australia, he worked hard in the mines, made lifelong friendships, and grew even more confident in the man he was becoming.
"After ten months, he came home for his mam’s 50th birthday - and, true to form, never went back. Instead, something even better was waiting for him here. This was when Coole Automotive, his transport and recovery business, began.
"Dylan travelled the length and breadth of Ireland doing what he loved most. He could sell anything to anyone - he was the only man in Ireland who could sell a rough IS200 and convince you it was the best buy you’d ever made.
"He had big plans - bigger than most people his age. He talked about becoming a millionaire, and if life had given him the time, he absolutely would have made it happen. But on 15 November, those dreams were cut heartbreakingly short, alongside the lives of his friends. And nothing will ever be the same again.
"For Thomas, there will be no one left to shout at in the workshop. For Denise, her golden boy - her world has changed, and nothing can fill that space. Lauren has lost the big brother who had made her his personal secretary. Jessica will carry the passion for cars he sparked in her, keeping the Commins name alive in Donegal just like he would have wanted. Sarah … she’ll need a new part-time valeting job, because every car Dylan sold, she was the one who cleaned it. And his heartbroken granny Sheila who will miss him dearly. Dylan lived quickly, loved deeply, and laughed loudly. He left an imprint on everyone he met - through his friendship, his mischief, his kindness, and his unstoppable determination. Though his life was far too short, it was packed with adventure, with bravery, with joy, and with the love of family and friends who adored him. Today, we don’t just mourn the life we lost - we honour the life he lived.
"Rest easy, Dylan (the showman). Your journey was wild, bright, and unforgettable - and your story will live on in all of us."
