Tom Skelton Ballymoney funeral: Church overflowed with mourners for funeral of highly respected Principal of Dalriada School

Mr Skelton, 66, passed away in Causeway Hospital surrounded by his family on Thursday after falling ill earlier in the week.

His funeral service took place today, Sunday, at his church, First Kilraughts Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, where the church and halls were packed to overflowing.

Last week his school colleagues praised him for his inspirational leadership of their "school family" while political representatives from across the spectrum paid tribute to his fairness and service to his community.

The retired minister of the church, Rev Noel McClean, punctured the sense of loss for mourners by joking that Skelton cattle had been known for disrupting traffic - and that Tom was still at it - with cars parked everywhere by people trying to get to his funeral.

Incumbent minister Rev Gary Glasgow said Tom married Wilma in 1986 and they were dad and mum to Thomas Junior, Andrew, Emma and Alice.

"He was a wonderful father,” he said – a number of his children reading tributes at the service.

Rev Glasgow said Tom was born in 1957 in Ballymoney to parents Thomas and Euphemia. He learned his love of farming from his father - a passion he was still engaged in until the end.

He began his education at Landhead Primary and then went to Dalriada.

"Tom was not the model pupil you might have thought him to be.... [he] was known to have occasionally played the odd practical joke, such as pouring custard into the pockets of his fellow pupils at Dalriada."

When he started Dalriada it was a move from a rather small country school to a large Grammar School.

"He found it quite hard and that undoubtedly fed into his empathy for pupils starting his school whenever he was principal. What helped him to settle as a Dalriada pupil was his love for sports, and in particular for rugby."

He played rugby from 17 until age 64, including over 750 games at Ballymoney RFC where he captained the firsts for five years.

He secured a Primary Degree in Education, specialising in PE, from Jordanstown University and completed his Masters Degree through the Open University at 43, despite many professional and family commitments.

As an educator he was "highly thought of, encouraging pupils of different abilities to maximise their potential”.

Tom returned to Dalriada as principal in 2007 "the only former pupil to have done so".

And he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

"Lollipop person off sick? No problem, Tom would don the uniform and hold the lollipop. Tree leaning dangerously? No problem. Tom came down with his chainsaw.

"Significant snowfall? And this was two weeks ago. No problem. Tom came down with his JCB and cleared the front of the school.

“And on the way home he pulled two cars out of the snow as he drove in to collect a prescription for someone.”

Tom also served as a primary school governor and with the Rotary Club, Boys Brigade and other organisations.

Rev Glasgow added that Tom regularly said he was only able to do everything "because of Wilma's love and commitment" as his wife and the mother of their children.