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The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Drowning of two teenagers remains an ‘open wound', funeral is told
The drowning of two teenagers off the coast of Co Donegal remains an 'open wound', a priest has said. The funeral of Matt Sibanda heard that the 18-year-old was 'undeniably wise and good beyond his years'. Matt, originally from Zimbabwe, died in the incident earlier this month along with Emmanuel Familola, 16, originally from Nigeria. They had been playing football when they went into the sea after a ball and got into difficulty. Matt's body was recovered from Lough Swilly while Emmanuel was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he died. Both teenagers had been living with their families in separate international protection centres in Buncrana. Buncrana Parish Priest Father Francis Bradley told the funeral at St Mary's Oratory on Saturday that members of Matt's family had travelled to Ireland for the funeral to support his mother Bonnie. He said: 'Over the past three weeks there has been a lot of visiting going on locally. 'Especially in the light of the tragic events, the tragic deaths of Matt Sibanda and his good friend Emmanuel Familola. 'The events of the afternoon of May 10 last will remain with us for a long time. 'While some distance has been drawn now from those terrible moments, the loss of Matt and Emmanuel is still an open wound, a sore blow for all of us, but most especially for their grieving families. 'We are all struggling still to come to terms with the loss, still speechless at the suddenness of it, still heartbroken at the enormity of it. 'While the world has moved on in some respects, we are nevertheless still numbed by the sadness of what happened.' He added: 'From his earliest days in Zimbabwe through to his time here in Buncrana, Matt has always been recognised for his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his great ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart. 'In the building which became his home since his arrival here in late 2023, Matt was the eldest child and with his great gifts and talents, particularly the respect he showed to everyone, but most especially to his mother, he became a natural leader, a first among equals. 'He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more. 'His surname Sibanda means lion. Our new Pope has taken the name Leo, which also means lion. 'Both Leo and Matt Sibanda shared something important in common, as well as their Catholic faith, their ability to listen to all sides of the debate, never judging, but helping all sides to reach a better solution. 'All of this stemmed from a profound respect for his mother. He always listened to her and he never, ever spoke back to her, even once, throughout his 18 years. 'A man of few words, a good and kind boy, a humble kid.'
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Buncrana drowning victim Matt Sibanda was ‘truly special' with ‘generous heart', funeral hears
Matt Sibanda, who died after getting into difficulty in Co Donegal 's Lough Swilly, was a 'truly special soul' who 'made others feel seen, valued and heard', his funeral has heard. 'That is a rare gift ... and one that touched everyone who knew him,' said Mr Sibanda's uncle, Buhle. The 18 year old died earlier this month with his friend, 16-year-old Emmanuel Familola, after they went into the water off Ned's Point in Buncrana, to retrieve a football. Originally from Zimbabwe, he, his mother and younger sister were living in the Co Donegal town. READ MORE His funeral Mass took place in St Mary's Oratory in Buncrana on Saturday morning. Pupils from his school, Crana College in Buncrana, formed a guard of honour outside the church alongside students from Emmanuel's school, Scoil Mhuire. Relatives from Zimbabwe travelled to Buncrana for the funeral. His family visited the scene of the tragedy before the service on Saturday. Other family and friends from Buncrana and from the migrant communities in Donegal and Ireland were also present. Commandant Joe Glennon, aide de camp to the Taoiseach , attended on behalf of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste , as did the chaplain to the Taoiseach, Father Daniel McFaul. Also present were Kevin Cooley, principal of Crana College, and the principal of Scoil Mhuire, Evelyn McLoughlin, and teachers from both schools, as well as representatives from the emergency services, including An Garda Síochána , the RNLI, Coastguard and ambulance service. [ 'They were Buncrana sons' – the Co Donegal lives and tragic deaths of two immigrant teenagers Opens in new window ] The requiem Mass began with the playing of the Zimbabwean national anthem. In his homily, parish priest Father Francis Bradley said Mr Sibanda was known for 'his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart'. He and his family arrived in Buncrana in late 2023. 'He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years, with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more.' Fr Bradley said the teen had 'profound respect' for his mother and was 'a good and kind boy, a humble kid who would play with other children, always looking out for his sister'. 'He adored her, and she him. He would watch her when his mam was working. He taught her to ride a bike, he would play piggyback with her and chase her after school.' Mr Sibanda loved healthy food, exercising and lifting weights, Fr Bradley said, adding that he was a powerful swimmer. Fr Bradley also spoke of the impact of the double tragedy on the town of Buncrana, describing the loss of the two teenagers as 'an open wound, a sore blow for us all'. Mr Sibanda's uncle Buhle thanked everyone for coming 'to honour and remember' the life of his 'beloved' nephew. He said 'the pain of losing him so suddenly ...is something we are still struggling to understand'. [ Vigil for two teenagers who drowned trying to retrieve football from the sea Opens in new window ] He described his nephew as 'a humble young man, never one to seek the spotlight, never one to boast'. 'He moved through life with a quiet dignity and deep respect for others,' he said. 'Though his life was far too short, Matt left us with memories and moments that will live on forever.'
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Drowning of two teenagers remains an ‘open wound', funeral is told
The drowning of two teenagers off the coast of Co Donegal remains an 'open wound', a priest has said. The funeral of Matt Sibanda heard that the 18-year-old was 'undeniably wise and good beyond his years'. Advertisement Matt, originally from Zimbabwe, died in the incident earlier this month along with Emmanuel Familola, 16, originally from Nigeria. They had been playing football when they went into the sea after a ball and got into difficulty. Matt's body was recovered from Lough Swilly while Emmanuel was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he died. Both teenagers had been living with their families in separate international protection centres in Buncrana. Advertisement Buncrana Parish Priest Father Francis Bradley told the funeral at St Mary's Oratory on Saturday that members of Matt's family had travelled to Ireland for the funeral to support his mother Bonnie. He said: 'Over the past three weeks there has been a lot of visiting going on locally. 'Especially in the light of the tragic events, the tragic deaths of Matt Sibanda and his good friend Emmanuel Familola. 'The events of the afternoon of May 10 last will remain with us for a long time. Advertisement 'While some distance has been drawn now from those terrible moments, the loss of Matt and Emmanuel is still an open wound, a sore blow for all of us, but most especially for their grieving families. 'We are all struggling still to come to terms with the loss, still speechless at the suddenness of it, still heartbroken at the enormity of it. 'While the world has moved on in some respects, we are nevertheless still numbed by the sadness of what happened.' He added: 'From his earliest days in Zimbabwe through to his time here in Buncrana, Matt has always been recognised for his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his great ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart. Advertisement 'In the building which became his home since his arrival here in late 2023, Matt was the eldest child and with his great gifts and talents, particularly the respect he showed to everyone, but most especially to his mother, he became a natural leader, a first among equals. 'He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more. 'His surname Sibanda means lion. Our new Pope has taken the name Leo, which also means lion. 'Both Leo and Matt Sibanda shared something important in common, as well as their Catholic faith, their ability to listen to all sides of the debate, never judging, but helping all sides to reach a better solution. Advertisement 'All of this stemmed from a profound respect for his mother. He always listened to her and he never, ever spoke back to her, even once, throughout his 18 years. 'A man of few words, a good and kind boy, a humble kid.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sibanda family's grief 'speaks to the human in all of us'
The funeral is due to take place later of the second teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Buncrana earlier this month. Parish priest Father Francis Bradley said 18-year-old Matt Sibanda was much loved and admired, especially by his seven-year-old sister who he doted on. He said the outpouring of grief after his death had happened because this kind of tragedy "speaks to the human in every one of us". "People know the pain of loss," he said. Matt's family will make a poignant visit to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday before the funeral. His grandmother travelled from Zimbabwe with his two older siblings, a brother and sister in their twenties, to be there alongside Matt's mother and younger sister. The 18-year-old died along with his friend Emmanuel Familola, a native of Nigeria. They were playing football on the beach at Ned's Point and had gone into the water to retrieve a ball when they got into difficulty. A third boy made it back to the shore. Later that evening, the body of Matt Sibanda was recovered from Lough Swilly. Emmanuel Familola was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but passed away the following morning with his mother at his bedside. Fr Bradley says Matt Sibanda's family are quietly trying to come to terms with the tragedy. "Matt's mum is a woman of few words but deep deep emotion and she talked to me so powerfully about what Matt meant to her," he told BBC News NI. "His little sister is so full of life, she's a gift from above really, telling me she speaks four languages. She's better in Irish than I am sharing her lovely phrases with me in Irish that she has learnt in school and they are all just telling me about what Matt meant to them. "The way he would watch over his little sister teaching her to ride a bicycle. How he was so devoted to his mother. She said she could put her hand on the Bible and say that he never once disobeyed her. "Can you imagine what it means to her then to lose somebody as special as this." Fr Bradley said the family members had made a special journey to the scene of the tragedy. "It has been so important for them to see where he died. "A little ritual took place there by the pier with his grandmother as the head of the family. It was so important that she come for a little gesture so they could, in their terms, release his soul allowing him to go to heaven." Fr Bradley said he was a "gifted boy in so many ways," of whom classmates and peers speak glowingly. "And not just in the way that people might speak of people after they die but just a real sense of his giftedness. "Someone who looked not to their own needs but who looked to the needs of others." Fr Bradley said Matt was hugely important to his family as he was the one in which they placed their hopes. The support from the Buncrana community for both families had been overwhelming, according to Fr Bradley. "It's not a flash in the sky coming together. It's a real sense of loss. So many families here unfortunately, as throughout the country, have suffered losses similar to this. "Even since Matt and Emmanuel passed away another child just down the road in Sligo died in similar circumstances. So people know the pain of loss. "These are the sorts of tragedies that cross all cultural, political, jurisdictional boundaries because they speak to the human in every one of us. "And it's at that human level that there has been an outpouring of grief. It is something natural and wholesome and it something that will endure." 'Terrible grief' descends on town after death of two teenagers Vigil held in Buncrana for teenage boys
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sibanda family's grief 'speaks to the human in all of us'
The funeral is due to take place later of the second teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Buncrana earlier this month. Parish priest Father Francis Bradley said 18-year-old Matt Sibanda was much loved and admired, especially by his seven-year-old sister who he doted said the outpouring of grief after his death had happened because this kind of tragedy "speaks to the human in every one of us"."People know the pain of loss," he said. Matt's family will make a poignant visit to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday before the grandmother travelled from Zimbabwe with his two older siblings, a brother and sister in their twenties, to be there alongside Matt's mother and younger 18-year-old died along with his friend Emmanuel Familola, a native of Nigeria. They were playing football on the beach at Ned's Point and had gone into the water to retrieve a ball when they got into difficulty.A third boy made it back to the shore. Later that evening, the body of Matt Sibanda was recovered from Lough Familola was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but passed away the following morning with his mother at his bedside. 'Devoted to his mother' Fr Bradley says Matt Sibanda's family are quietly trying to come to terms with the tragedy. "Matt's mum is a woman of few words but deep deep emotion and she talked to me so powerfully about what Matt meant to her," he told BBC News NI."His little sister is so full of life, she's a gift from above really, telling me she speaks four languages. She's better in Irish than I am sharing her lovely phrases with me in Irish that she has learnt in school and they are all just telling me about what Matt meant to them. "The way he would watch over his little sister teaching her to ride a bicycle. How he was so devoted to his mother. She said she could put her hand on the Bible and say that he never once disobeyed her."Can you imagine what it means to her then to lose somebody as special as this."Fr Bradley said the family members had made a special journey to the scene of the tragedy."It has been so important for them to see where he died."A little ritual took place there by the pier with his grandmother as the head of the family. It was so important that she come for a little gesture so they could, in their terms, release his soul allowing him to go to heaven." 'Gifted in so many ways' Fr Bradley said he was a "gifted boy in so many ways," of whom classmates and peers speak glowingly. "And not just in the way that people might speak of people after they die but just a real sense of his giftedness. "Someone who looked not to their own needs but who looked to the needs of others."Fr Bradley said Matt was hugely important to his family as he was the one in which they placed their hopes. The support from the Buncrana community for both families had been overwhelming, according to Fr Bradley. "It's not a flash in the sky coming together. It's a real sense of loss. So many families here unfortunately, as throughout the country, have suffered losses similar to this. "Even since Matt and Emmanuel passed away another child just down the road in Sligo died in similar circumstances. So people know the pain of loss. "These are the sorts of tragedies that cross all cultural, political, jurisdictional boundaries because they speak to the human in every one of us."And it's at that human level that there has been an outpouring of grief. It is something natural and wholesome and it something that will endure."
