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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Murdered farmer Michael Gaine was not afraid to be ‘soft, loving and kind', funeral told
The requiem mass of murdered farmer Michael 'Mike' Gaine has heard that he was 'a proud Kerryman, and an even prouder Kenmare man' who was incredibly generous and would 'chip in to help any time and any place'. Mourners at the Holy Cross Church in Kenmare, Co Kerry were told that Mr Gaine was not afraid to show his emotions and was 'soft and loving, caring and affectionate, kind and considerate'. His cousin Eoghan Clarke said he was honoured to speak at the funeral on behalf of Michael's wife Janice. He said that Mike did the work of three men on his farm while still managing to carve out multiple hours in the day in which he helped others. 'I recall on one occasion when Mike was convincing one of his friends to head out for dinner one evening with the friend – who shall remain nameless – complaining that he was too tired. Mike shut down that argument immediately by replying: 'Sure, we're all tired'. That was Michael – he loved life, he always made the most of it and he truly lived every single moment. READ MORE '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. 'Michael was generous. Incredibly generous. He had time for everyone and would chip in to help any time and any place.' Mr Clarke read out a quote from a friend which he said summed up Mr Gaine's generosity and thoughtfulness better than he felt he ever could. Addressing Mr Gaine, the friend said: 'I will always remember the way you offered help before I ever even asked for it.' Eoghan Clarke, cousin of murdered Co Kerry farmer Michael Gaine, speaking at his funeral. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Mourners were also told of how Mr Gaine met his wife Janice on a fateful New Year's Eve. Mr Clarke said Janice had travelled from Jakarta to visit her parents in Kerry for Christmas when a young Mike, looking dapper in his dress suit, plucked up the courage to speak to her at the bar. 'Michael explained that he was heading to Australia soon and in the days before Google and smartphones, Michael explained to Janice that Garuda airlines – Indonesia's national airline – seemed to offer the best value. Janice, presumably intrigued by Michael's extensive knowledge of flight routes to and from Australia, agreed to Michael's invitation to dinner before she then returned to Indonesia in the new year. 'For the next few years, Michael kept Telecom Éireann in business, feeding coins into one of the payphones in Kenmare to speak to Janice in Indonesia and then Taiwan, where he came to visit her. The rest is history.' Mr Clarke said that Michael's interests were as varied as his friend network. They included rallying, farming, current affairs, holidays to exotic places, DoneDeal, and all music – even opera. He added that by virtue of his incredible character, Mike attracted a lot of good people into his life. 'My own friends describe their first time meeting Mike and have said that he instantly gelled with them, made them feel at ease and showed a genuine interest in them. Another beautiful quote I have seen from a friend of Michael's was 'I always left in a better mood after talking to or bumping into you.' We will all miss Michael terribly.' Mourners proceed through the Holy Cross Church in Kenmare following Michael Gaine's funeral. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA The mass was celebrated by Fr George Hayes, parish priest in Kenmare along with Fr Sean Murphy. Fr Hayes said that the shocking murder of Mr Gaine had brought 'something terrible' in to the peaceful existence of locals. 'We are discommoded and feel at a loss. Over these weeks, since Michael went missing, we have asked so many questions – and, in life, sometimes, there are no answers.' Fr Hayes said that the focus of the funeral mass was on recovering the dignity of a much loved family member, friend and neighbour. '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. And it is the dignity of Michael's life, and not the manner of Michael's death, that will abide in our hearts. Here in this place, today, we recover Michael's dignity. We speak Michael's name with love.' He asked mourners to enjoy life and to lift people's spirits in the manner in which Mike did. 'In that way, Michael and his characteristics will live on. Rest easy Michael. Until we meet again.' Offertory symbols included a photo of Mr Gaine on his quad on his farm with cavalier dog Teddy, a holiday photo, a photo of the globe representing his love for current affairs and travel, a wedding photo, a CD, a photo of St Michael the Archangel, a photo of Mike and his rally car and his rally helmet. Mourners following the funeral of murdered Co Kerry farmer Michael Gaine at the Holy Cross Church in Kenmare. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA His widow Janice Gaine led the family out of the church at the conclusion of the mass holding his urn in her arms. Poignantly, the urn was in a sheepskin-lined basket. The funeral of Mr Gaine took place 11 weeks after he went missing from his farm in Kenmare. His disappearance was initially treated as a missing persons case. It was declared a murder investigation by gardaí on April 29th. Human remains found in fields and at the Gaine's farm in Kenmare in mid-May were confirmed as being those of Mr Gaine. A man in his 50s was arrested on May 19th last in connection with the murder. He was subsequently released without charge pending a file to the DPP. Mr Gaine is survived by his wife Janice, sisters Noreen and Catherine, nieces and nephews, his aunt Noreen Fitzpatrick, his close friends DJ and Shane and his wide circle of friends.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Murdered sheep farmer remembered as loving relative and proud Kerry man
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. 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.' Last month, a man aged in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder. He was held for questioning for one day before being released without charge from Killarney garda station.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Michael Gaine remembered as loving relative and proud Kerry man
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. Advertisement 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. The remains of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine were found on his land. Photo: Garda/PA. 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement Eoghan Clarke speaking at his funeral of his cousin Michael Gaine at the Holy Cross Church in Kenmare. Photo: Niall Carson/PA. '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. Advertisement '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.' Last month, a man aged in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder. He was held for questioning for one day before being released without charge from Killarney garda station.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Murdered sheep farmer remembered as loving relative and proud Kerry man
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. 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.' Last month, a man aged in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder. He was held for questioning for one day before being released without charge from Killarney garda station.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- BreakingNews.ie
Leaving Cert: Teacher says many students found today's English exam 'challenging'
A teacher has said many students found the questions challenging in the latest Leaving Cert exam. Students completed English paper two on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement Sue O'Sullivan Casey, from Pobalscoil Inbhear Scèine, Kenmare, Co Kerry, said the Higher Level questions on Shakespeare's King Lear challenged students to consider a variety of elements of the play. 'The questions on Shakespeare's King Lear were manageable for those who were familiar not just with the King Lear character but minor characters also,' she said. 'The first question allowed students to write about the complex villains of the play. They could have also reflected on King Lear's actions, too, and those of his daughter Cordelia. The alternative question centred on the staple themes of the play: justice and order. 'Other popular Single Text questions on Anthony Doerr's 'All the Light We Cannot See', Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' and Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' allowed students to explore both character and theme in their chosen texts with plenty of opportunity to offer critical analysis and argument. Advertisement 'The General Vision and Viewpoint focused on aspects of human nature and the complexities within it. Students would have seen a similar style question in recent papers and should have managed this fine. The Cultural Context question, meanwhile, explored control and power and students would have been pleased to see such a question. However, the question asked students to identify the subtle ways in which divisions were explored. This may have thrown some. 'Whilst inclusion and exclusion were analysed for those students who had studied Theme or Issue. This may have proven difficult for some students if they had not explored this aspect of the texts. However, issues of power and identity would have lent themselves to this idea of inclusion/ exclusion. The Comparative questions once again only required students to base their answer on two texts for the 70-mark question. However, a great many students still answer this question based on three texts to allow for lots of opportunities to contrast and compare. Overall, those students who took their time to stop and carefully consider the keywords of the question and plan their answers would have managed well. 'Lastly, the prescribed poets that appeared on this year's paper were not overly surprising. As many predicted, the contemporary female American poet Tracy K. Smith appeared much to the relief of a great many students. The shock of the day for many students was the absence of Hopkins. Students would have been frustrated by this, as it eliminated an option that many of them would have had worked hard on. 'Another surprise was the inclusion of not one but three Irish poets; Boland, Kavanagh and Mahon. The unseen poem featured As Far as Turn Back by Pat Boran and was succinct and easy to navigate with the questions that followed testing students' ability to interpret the poet's message through their use of language. Advertisement 'Overall, the paper was fair and balanced with nothing too out of the ordinary. The student who had put in the work over the course of two years would have felt prepared and capable to meet each question diligently.' Ordinary paper Ms O'Sullivan Casey said the Ordinary Level questions were accessible and many students would have managed well. 'For students who would have studied Sive by John B. Keane, the questions asked students to consider the text's key moments, characters and relationships. It also offered some clear, manageable functional writing tasks including the text for a podcast and a debate. Quiz Quiz: Could you pass Junior Certificate Maths? Read More 'Other questions on Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' and Colson Whitehead's 'The Underground Railroad' were challenging but not unfamiliar. Advertisement 'The Comparative Study saw students study their texts in relation to either Themes, Social Setting or Relationships and the questions today allowed those who knew their texts well to write about key moments that highlighted these modes at work. 'The Studied Poetry saw poems from Boland, Eliot, and Dickinson appear from the traditional poetry course and poems by Sinead Morrissey, Liz Lockhead and Jessica Traynor appear from the alternative poetry course. The Unseen Poetry question featured First Day by Theo Dorgan and the questions gave students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to identify and comment on the poet's use of language. 'The paper was fair and straightforward. A student who had prepared consistently over two years would have been ready to handle the questions well.'
