Hundreds attend funeral for '˜quiet' dad-of-four killed in farm accident

Fr John Heagney, who conducted Requiem Mass in St Mary’s Mullaghbawn, said that there were so many people attending the funeral they could not all get into the church, so a speaker brought the message to them outside.

During his homily, Father Heagney - parish priest of St Mary’s - told the congregation about the father-of-four’s “faith, how he was very involved in the community and was a very kind gentleman”.

“So it was not surprising that he would have so many friends attending his funeral,” he said.

“His neighbours were very fond of him, as were of course his children and grandchildren. It was a sad occasion.”

Fr Heagney added: “Now we have to pray that his family have strength to get through it.

“They are a very strong family and Gene and his wife Brea had a very strong bond.

“Gene had been a farmer all of his life and he was very fond of the land and fishing and football and sport.

“He was a quiet man but had a lot of interests and enjoyed his life.”

Mr Murphy, who was from a GAA family, was heavily involved in Silverbridge Harps Gaelic Football Club (GFC).

Tributes were paid to him on Silverbridge Harps GFC Facebook page where a post said all matches planned for yesterday had been cancelled “due to the sad passing of Gene Murphy RIP”.

Another post said: “We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Gene MURPHY RIP, husband of Brea, brother of Eamon, father of Eugene, Martin, Aidan and Theresa, father-in-law of Joanne & Fearghal and grandfather of underage players Ruairi, Ceallagh and Shea. May he rest in peace.”

Club secretary Jarlath Burns also paid tribute to Mr Murphy as “a very gentle, lovely, highly respected, quiet man who was always about our club”.

Following Mr Murphy’s death, a statement from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland said: “We are investigating the death of a farmer following an incident involving construction work on a farm in the Silverbridge area. Our thoughts are with the family involved at this very difficult time.”

Mr Murphy’s death is the second agricultural tragedy in Northern Ireland within the past couple of weeks.

On August 15, Patrick Gerard Lively, 60, was killed in a crash involving a tractor in south Down.

It happened near Hilltown, on the Bryansford Road at the junction with the Kinnahalla Road.