A murdered sheep farmer has been remembered as a loving relative and proud Co Kerry man.
The town of Kenmare was rocked last month when following the disappearance of Michael Gaine, human remains found on his land were confirmed to be his.
Mourners packed Holy Cross Church in the town on Saturday morning to pay their final respects to the 56-year-old and support his family.
His remains were brought into the church in a wood box topped with sheep’s wool.
Speaking on behalf of the family ahead of the funeral service, Mr Gaine’s cousin Eoghan Clarke remembered him as a “proud Kerry man and an even prouder Kenmare man”.
He said he will be missed terribly to applause from those gathered.
In his homily, parish priest George Hayes described Kenmare as a place of enchanting beauty, but said into their “peaceful, idyllic, sylvan existence” recently came something terrible.
“Over these weeks, since Michael went missing, we’ve asked so many questions – and, in life, sometimes, there are no answers,” he told mourners.
“But in the best tradition of Irish funerals, today is a day for recovering the dignity of Michael Gaine.
“Today we recover Michael’s dignity because, today, we speak Michael’s name with love … we gather to acknowledge Michael as someone who loved much and was much loved.”
He urged: “Let’s not give in to hatred and bitterness … let’s strive for justice and fairness.
“Winter will pass. Spring will come again. There will be better days, we will continue to honour Mike and speak Mike’s name with love, and may Mike now rest in God’s eternal care and God’s eternal peace.”
Earlier, Mr Clarke said his cousin was known for his incredible work ethic, personality and humour, and was a loving son, sibling and uncle.
He recalled his passion for rallying, farming, current affairs, holidays and music.
“As we all know, Michael was generous. Incredibly generous. He had time for everyone and would chip in to help any time and any place,” he said.
“Michael seemed to always find the time to do the work of three men on his own farm, help out friends, family and neighbours, keep up to speed on current affairs and enjoy himself.
“He loved life, he always made the most of it and he truly lived every single moment. Whether you met him during lambing or while on a trip away to a car show or rally event, he always had the iconic twinkle in his eye – the ‘I’m delighted to see you’, ‘I’m in great form’, ‘let’s go and enjoy ourselves’ glint in his eye.”
He also said that Mr Gaine’s wife Janice and sisters knew his soft caring side.
“Caring and affectionate. Kind and considerate. He was not afraid to show his emotions. He was also brave, fearless and strong,” he said.
“We will all miss Michael terribly. I know I’ll miss our phone calls the most, as well as that happy feeling that Michael gave you when you were with him.
“He was always the glue that held the Rally of the Lakes weekend together and I will always look back very fondly on our adventures to the best spectating spots in Kerry.”
Mr Gaine was initially reported missing having been last seen in Kenmare on March 20.
Extensive searches were carried out with assistance at one stage from the Irish Defence Forces.
On April 29, gardai announced the missing person probe had been upgraded to a homicide investigation.
Partial human remains were found on Mr Gaine’s land on May 17 which were identified as belonging to the missing farmer.
A man aged in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of Mr Gaine’s murder on May 19.
He was held for questioning for one day before being released without charge from Killarney garda station.
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