Funeral held for woman, 77, allegedly murdered by son

By Niall Deeney
Published 24th Jun 2022, 17:21 BST
Updated 24th Jun 2022, 21:00 BST
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his mother in Cookstown, County Tyrone. Margaret Una Noone, 77, was found dead in her home in Ratheen Avenue on Sunday.A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his mother in Cookstown, County Tyrone. Margaret Una Noone, 77, was found dead in her home in Ratheen Avenue on Sunday.
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his mother in Cookstown, County Tyrone. Margaret Una Noone, 77, was found dead in her home in Ratheen Avenue on Sunday.
The alleged murder of a 77-year-old woman by her son has “stunned” the community in which she lived, mourners at her funeral heard on Friday afternoon.

Una Noone was found dead at her home in the Ratheen Avenue area of Cookstown last Sunday (June 19).

Her son, 45-year-old Barry Noone, has been charged with her murder.

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Mrs Noone (née McOsker) was laid to rest following a funeral at Holy Trinity Church in Cookstown on Friday.

Addressing mourners, Fr Brian Slater said: “The events of last Sunday have stunned us all, none moreso than you the Noone and McOsker families. We are shocked as individuals, and we are visibly shaken as a community. When we learn about the unexpected death of someone we have known so well, there is a great sense of numbness and disbelief at the horror of it all.

“For so many gathered here today, we are struggling to come to terms with it, to make sense of it all.”

He continued: “It would be so wrong and tragic if we allowed the events of last week to define who Una.

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“She was a quiet, unassuming lady who worked hard all her life. Born in Ballinderry, Una was one of nine children to Hugh and Agnes McOsker. Her early life was a simple affair, growing up in the townland that straddles the Lough shore.

“She gained employment in Fisher’s factory here in the town but the allure of the bright lights of the big city were too tempting for her, so off she went to Birmingham to experience a new way of life.”

He continued: “The midlands city soon became her adopted home and before too long other members of her family were making the short journey across the pond. It was here that Una was blessed with two children.

“Before long, the pace of a busy, built-up city was no longer appealing to Una and she yearned to be back home again where everything seemed that wee bit slower. So off she went with her two Brummie babies, back to the old sod, where Una was fortunate enough to acquire a newly built house which has become her home for over 45 years. To support her children and to assist them through college life, Una started a house-cleaning job which she was so good at. In fact, if she did as good a job in other people’s homes as she did in her own, her clients will have been delighted.”

He described Mrs Noone as a woman who enjoyed bingo and listening to country music.

After the service, she was interred at Forthill Cemetery, Cookstown.