Funeral of Erris fisherman told fishing was in his heart and in his blood

Anton McNulty

The passion and love which fisherman Daniel Doherty had for the sea and for fishing was recalled at his funeral Mass last week and it was apt his final journey before being buried was in a currach.
Daniel Doherty from Carrowteigue in north Mayo was laid to rest in Kilgalligan Cemetery which overlooks Broadhaven Bay where he passed away following a fishing accident on September 11.
The 23 year-old went missing after he failed to return home after taking his trawler alone to Beewee Head to re-bail lobster pots. An extensive multi-agency search of the area followed and Daniel’s body was eventually discovered two weeks later on September 25 by a fishing boat near Lacken.
The Church of The Immaculate Conception in the small Erris village of Carrowteigue was overflowing as mourners paid their respects to the Doherty family. The chief mourners included Daniel’s parents, Brian and Noreen, sister Emma, brother Brendan, partner Tara Walker, grandmother Angela, aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives and many friends.
Daniel’s love of his craft were evident throughout the Mass with photographs of Daniel at sea and in his fishing gear adorning the alter. Among the gifts taken to the alter to symbolise Daniel’s short life was a lobster pot, a miniature currach he made at school, boxing gloves and a set of darts. Singing was led in the church by Tommy Maloney and Tony O’Connor while his friends said the prayers of the faithful.
Following the Mass, Daniel’s coffin was placed in a currach and accompanied by members of his family and partner, Tara was towed for his final journey to Kilgalligan Cemetery.

Heartbroken
His cousin, Fr Michael Ruddy delivered the homily and told the congregation that they were gathered with mixed emotions - relief that Daniel was found but also heartbroken at his passing.
“There is gratitude we can celebrate this Mass for him yet accompanied by so many unanswered questions. We can have an appreciation we will have a grave to visit and pray and yet at the same time know the horror in our hearts,” he said.
Referring to Daniel’s love for fishing, he said that it was clear that from an early age he had his future planned for himself and it was appropriate that his body was recovered by fellow fishermen.“Daniel like the first apostles loved fishing, loved the sea, loved his craft and was very good at it. He put all his time and energy into fishing. Fishing was in his heart and in his blood. Not many can say that they love the work they do but Daniel did. It was clear from a very early age this was to be his life.
“It was clear from a very early age that he had his future planned out for him. Before he died he had great hopes for his future great hopes and plans for his future with Tara. Great hopes and plans for his fishing with a new and better boat, great plans doing what he loved doing fishing on Broadhaven Bay. Now such plans and hopes and dreams have been taken up into the larger plans which God has for him.
“I remember when Daniel was a young teenager, he took me fishing. Like the disciples in another part of the Gospel, we fished all day and caught nothing. It would have been nice to have a little bit of fish to eat with the boxty in the house later on but what can you do except to be slagged off. The priest’s cousin who did not have the power to make the fish jump...sometimes it is good to be reminded that you are not God,” he said to laughter from the congregation.

Privilege
At the end of the Mass, Daniel’s uncle Patrick Ruddy and friends, Jamie Flannery and Joseph Garvin spoke of how they would miss Daniel and it was a privilege for them to call him their friend.
During the extensive search for Daniel, hundreds of volunteers travelled to Erris to take part and the Doherty family thanked all the various agencies, fisherman and the community for their help. They also wished to thank Jason and Tony for singing at the graveside, Joleen Timlin for arranging the Funeral Mass booklet and all who helped in any way.
Fr Ruddy said the family were heartbroken by their loss but the prayers of thousands of people had sustained them and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.