A priest has urged those who resort to knives and guns to find another way to resolve their grievances. Yesterday, in cold winter sunshine, a grieving community united to bury its third murder victim in two years.
Father-of-four David Lynch , a convicted armed raider, was gunned down outside his home on Collery Drive, Cranmore, in the early hours of last Saturday morning. A 12-year-old boy was injured in the hail of gunfire.
At his funeral in St Joseph's Church, Ballytivnan, Fr Steven Walshe warned that unless something changed, the current spiral of violence would "become a whirlwind that will sweep us all away".
He told up to 200 mourners that the violent and brutal death suffered by the latest victim had shattered the Christmas peace.
Sorrow
"Once again we approach the Christmas crib in sorrow. Our community has been saddened by a violent and brutal death in our midst and the evil that has seemingly gripped our parish has taken the life of a third young man in two years," he said.
Those who saw murder as the solution, like the Biblical Herod, had no regard for human life, he added.
He continued that forgiveness had "become a dirty word" in today's society and the need to make anyone pay was perceived as essential for any disrespect, however slight it may be.
"The insistence on retaliation is only a tiny step from confrontation with violence," he said.
Leading the mourners were the dead man's partner Lisa McLoughlin, four children, Ross, Ethan, David and Emily Kate, and grieving parents, Mary and John.
His tearful partner said: "It is like a bad dream and I cannot wake up. I love you so much and I am going to miss you every day. I am so happy to have been a part of your life," she said.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. A garda source said yesterday that it was "at an early stage" and that all avenues of investigation were still being pursued.
Daniel McMorrow, who has since undergone surgery, remains in a stable condition.
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