MCDONAGH

MCDONAGH (Myles) (Ballybaun, Monivea, Co. Galway) - On the first anniversary of Myles's death, we - his parents, Diarmuid and Noelín (née Fox), his brothers Eoin and Colum and his sister Doireann, along with our extended families, want to thank everyone for the love and support we received at the time of Myles's death and in the year since then. Thank you to Dr Matt Linehan, Nurse Kathleen Warde and an unknown nurse who attended to Myles at the scene of the accident, and to the staff at Portiuncula Hospital who cared for us all so well. We deeply appreciate the support of Fr. Sean Kilbane who led us in such a beautiful funeral Service. Thank you to Myles's young school friends who served the Mass and to the choir for their lovely singing. Thank you to all of the priests who concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Kilbane. We also want to thank Myles's schoolmates, their parents and the staff of Garbally N.S. for accompanying Myles's to the Church; and Menlough Football and Skehana Hurling Clubs for the guard of honour. Menlough senior footballers brought the cup to our house on the Sunday evening when they won the county final, we deeply appreciate the thoughtfulness of this gesture and know that Myles would have been very proud of their success. Thank you especially to our neighbours and friends who did so much to help us during Myles's wake and funeral; all our neighbours who cleaned, cooked and fed the visitors, the people who dug Myles's grave, organised parking and prepared the Church. We thank Jimmy Quinn, Funeral Director, for his consideration in dealing with us. We thank our colleagues in Galway County Council and Brothers of Charity Services, Roscommon and Doireann's and Eoin's school friends and teachers in H.R.C., Mountbellew, for their support when Myles died and since then. Thank you to everyone who came to offer sympathy, attended Myles's funeral, wrote, phoned, sent Mass Cards, brought flowers and have continued to think of us and pray for us in the past year. We would particularly like to thank Myles's teachers and the staff in Garbally N.S. for taking care of Colum and all of the children so well since Myles died, and for remembering him with such love. We remember Myles's Grandad, Mike McDonagh, who struggled to be present throughout those terrible days and who joined his young grandson in heaven such a short time later. Finally, we thank the people of Skehana and Menlough, and our relatives and friends from all over who have stood with us and held us up during this painful year; your appreciation of the lovely boy that Myles was and your care for us is what has kept us going. Mass has been offered for all of you. Myles danced on the earth, may he now be dancing in heaven.