Galway Community Gathers to Bid Farewell to Beloved 18-Year-Old

The Clonboo native died on Sunday, January 18, following a single-vehicle collision on the N65 at Moyleen, in the Loughrea area. On Wednesday morning, January 21, St Brendan's Church in Corrandulla was at capacity as family, friends, community members, old schoolmates and staff gathered to say their final goodbye. James is pre-deceased by his mother Marian, his aunt Roseann and his cousin Adina. He is mourned by his heartbroken father Ian and his brothers Aidan and Kieran. He is sadly missed by his grandparents Martin and Ann Connolly, Roundstone, his uncles, aunts, cousins and a large circle of friends. Gifts brought to the altar included a wooden plaque made by James, a symbol of his woodwork talent; a boat, symbolising James’ love for boating and the many happy days he spent with family and friends on the river Shannon; and the Mol an Óige graduation award he had received from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir for his kindness. During the funeral mass, parish priest Fr Sean Cunningham mentioned James’ love and talent for woodwork and his plans to become a carpenter as well as his kind character and outgoing personality. He described James as “a model” and “a genuinely good lad” and said his death was a shock for the community. “We are deeply saddened and shocked, and indeed, an air of disbelief came over the parish last Sunday morning, when news of the tragic traffic accident had claimed his life. “That lovely image of James that adorns his funeral notice, speak to us of an outgoing and generous young man, full of hope and joy, eager to get on in life and live it to the full.” He added: “James had a great capacity for getting on with people. He was friendly and outgoing. His innate warmth and kindness helped to invite and include other people in the conversations and in whatever was happening. He didn't create barriers with people, something which was reflected, I think, in the large numbers of his own age group who are here today and indeed who passed through the church here last night.” Fr Sean Cunningham reminded mourners to live to the fullest as he particularly addressed the younger attendees and urged them to keep James’ memory alive by being kind and considerate. “Unexpected death hits all of us with appalling suddenness, and the emotions it raises kind of times seem overwhelming. For James's friends and classmates here today, your tears are real and they are understandable. As parents and elders in a community, we try so hard to protect you and shield you from the harsher side of life that we experience today, and we hope and we pray that you will not have to go through anything like this anytime soon again. He added: “Today, I just want you to maybe make a special pledge to be kind and considerate to each other as James was to all of us, to look out for each other, and maybe not to waste time bearing unnecessary crutches, because the time that we have to realise our ambitions, our hopes and our dreams, that time we have together is always limited and precious, and to encourage each other to use your gifts in a ways that enhance your own life and the lives of those around you, to live as James did with that sense of hope and joy and trust in the goodness of life. “On days like today, we are reminded that life is often tragic and bittersweet yes, but it is also a precious gift to celebrate and enjoy.” Talking on behalf of the Skelton family was James’ uncle Joe, who remembered him as a “warm, witty, strong” young man with a mature character and who left a deep impression on young and old. “We gather today to honour a life that did end far too soon. And the image of a tree comes to mind, not because it makes this grief easier, but maybe it helps us to see the shape of a life, particularly one that didn't get the long years or even a few more years that it ought to have. “A tree isn't measured alone in its height, but it's measured in rings. I know something that was close to James' heart, timber, and the innate knowledge he had of it. And it's measured in the seasons you lived and the storms you endured. And I think by coincidence, today is the first anniversary of Storm Éowyn. The sunlight that it gathered and the roots that that tree extended. And you know, some trees stand for centuries, others grow quickly, they grow brilliantly. “James' life was shorter than expected, but maybe you could say with remarkable rings, each one marking a love, a laughter, a curiosity, and that imprint that so many have touched on that he left on people near and far and everyone who knew him. James’ uncle also thanked the emergency services, the parish and also the community for rallying around his family at such difficult time. “A special word for those younger people maybe it's the first time in your lives you've encountered this level of awful grief and how you manage that and how you come through this is really, really important. “The message from our family to you is keep James's memory alive with good humor and with good fun like he would do if was here; and with kindness, and use that kindness to bolster your own emotional and mental health in those around you. “Clonboo, Corrandulla, is an area I know long noted for the warmth and the community spirit, and nowhere is that more evident than to see three bus loads of children lining the road in the rain, and the marshalling around the house, the guards of honour, the visitation to the house. I think this even could be a first for this area, that hot food came from Tullyglass and was delivered to the door hot. “But look, that strength and warmth of the community, the family are forever thankful for that outpouring of support, the visitation, the endless foods, the meals, ushering, the marshalling, the guards of honour and just the general embrace is the only words I could find to express it, the general embrace.” He added: “Maybe on a somber note, take to your heart the things that could change to avoid a loss like this. And I don't say this as any criticism or judgment, I think something that we might all reflect on, but as we drive a car or a motorbike or ride a bike or we make a decision to get into a vehicle, with that comes a responsibility. And maybe there are things every one of us could reflect on and do so that situations like this didn't occur.”