James Lynch, father to young Shay (also known as James) Lynch, who tragically passed away in an unfortunate swimming pool accident in Clare, paid heartfelt tributes to his seven-year-old son. Recalling his tender, considerate and affectionate nature, Mr. Lynch fondly recalled the heartfelt notes and drawings Shay regularly left on his parents’ pillows.
During the funeral service at St. Senan’s Church in Clonlara in the middle of the last week, Lynch told the gathered crowd of mourners, “Our dearly beloved Shay-Shay has been extraordinarily dear to us from his very first breath.”
Shay, a student of the first year at Scoil Seanáin Naofa, Clonlara, had his life cut short in a melancholic incident at a swimming pool in a hotel in Co Clare, while he was partaking in a party.
Lynch expressed his joy and pride in the fact that his son had expressed a desire to pursue the same profession as him – that of a builder. He even felt Shay had initiated his journey as an apprentice. James took a vow to finish the playhouse his son had begun “precisely as you wished it.”
Speaking directly to his son, Mr. Lynch thanked him for the precious notes and drawings left on their pillows, stating their value would never diminish. In a tender moment, he extolled his son’s gentle and loving spirit, highlighting his harmless and caring nature.
His father also expressed gratitude towards Shay for showering him, his mother, and sister Abi with love. He comforted those present by telling them that Shay’s preferred teddy, Dougie, was now under Abi’s care.
He fondly recalled Shay’s incredible creative genius, manifest in his artwork, of which he had proudly shared with godfather John. James reminisced about the joy of having Shay accompany him to work, noticing his delight at wearing mini work trousers and a pencil over his ear.
James affirmed his promise to keep the first piece of timber cut by Shay for the playhouse nearby, adorned with Shay’s drawings.
He gave assurances that he and Abi would complete the playhouse just as Shay desired. James expressed his pride in Shay for having begun his apprenticeship and was confident he would’ve excelled as a builder.
Lastly, James acknowledged Shay’s happiness at having his mother serve as the school secretary and expressed their shared joy in the commendable report from the teachers.
“The thought of you being safe and at peace with your grandmother Christina gives us some solace. We will always carry the pain of your absence, Shay-Shay, our beautiful boy. Our love for you is undying,” were James’s heart-rendering words. James had also previously carried his son’s white coffin to the altar of the church, pausing to kiss his son’s picture, clad in his Clonlara outfit while consoling his daughter, Abi.
In the church, filled to the brim, parents comforted their little ones while Father Pat Mulcahy recalled the happiness of the previous weekend when 41 young kids celebrated their confirmation and three baptisms were commemorated in the parish. Locals were also bubbling with anticipation for the anticipated hurling match between Clare and Limerick.
Father Mulcahy recounted his conversation with Shay’s mum, Tania, at the confirmation service. “It was just another ordinary day for us as we carried on with daily chores, unaware of the tragedy that loomed,” he stated. Later that same day, the locality was plunged into gloom as news of the tragedy began to leak through social media platforms, bringing everyone to a halt.
Father Mulcahy also nostalgically remembered how Shay had just a fortnight ago, planted two shrubs on his grandmother Christina’s grave in Bridgetown graveyard. “It was impossible for anyone, let alone Shay, to predict that he would be resting beside his grandmother, eternally youthful,” he stated.
Earlier in the service, Shay’s under 9’s hurling coach at Clonlara GAA, Joe Moriarty along with his son, James presented a Clonlara club jersey and Shay’s hurley to the altar. Shay took great pride in being part of such a prestigious hurling club in Clare.
Abi, Shay’s doted elder sister and his cousin Cory, placed his beloved teddy named Dougie and some of his other cherished toys on the altar. His other cousin, Craig displayed Shay’s work trousers, pencil, and tools symbolising all the precious moments that Shay spent working alongside his wonderful father, as per his cousin Caroline.
Shay Lynch’s final resting place was in the grounds of St Thomas’s Church, Bridgetown.