Mother of tractor crash victim (16) 'utterly heartbroken at what has happened our perfect family'

Gordon Deegan

The mother of 16-year-old Clare student TJ Chambers told mourners on Friday that she and TJ's father, Tomás, are completely and utterly heartbroken with what has just happened to our perfect little family”.

At the St John the Baptist-Church in Ballyea on Friday afternoon, Suzanne Chambers addressed her son when she said: “Mammy and Daddy would give anything to swap with you, TJ."

She said: “We are so sorry we couldn’t save you. We tried our best. We love you so much and we are completely and utterly heartbroken with what has just happened to our perfect little family.

“TJ if you can hear me, please give us the strength to look after your two beautiful sisters, Caoimhe and Laoise. You are going to be in our minds each and every day for the rest of our lives and be a part of everything and everywhere we go."

Both parents took to the altar at the start of the mass to speak to the congregation and TJ’s father Tomás said: “We are heartbroken but God will give us the strength to get through this. Thank you.”

On behalf of the family, Mr Chambers thanked “everyone for the massive support over the last few days”.

“It has been truly amazing the support we have received from everyone near and far.”

Before talking about TJ, Mrs Chambers - supported by husband Tomás, said: "Neither of us is in any great shape to be doing this but we owe it to our beautiful son so we will try our best."

Last Saturday afternoon, TJ Chambers - who was due to turn 17 next month - died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a tractor which occurred on the R458 at Bunnahow, north of Crusheen, Co Clare.

In her words to the packed congregation, Suzanne Chambers revealed that “we had just enjoyed a few days away at Center Parcs when this nightmare happened”.

Mrs Chambers said that the “apple of TJ’s eye”, his four year old sister, Laoise, got TJ into some beautiful family photos on the Center Parcs trip “and we will now treasure them forever”.

A student at St Flannan’s College in Ennis and minor hurler for Ballyea, TJ’s twin passions for hurling and farming featured prominently in the funeral mass.

Clare All-Ireland winning captain, Tony Kelly, and former All-Star, Tony Griffin, were just two members of a large contingent of Ballyea GAA to attend Friday's mass as part of a community wide show of support for the Chambers family.

One of TJ’s under age coaches at Ballyea GAA, Catherine O’Loughlin, told mourners it was a dream of TJ to follow in the footsteps of TK (Tony Kelly) and other senior hurlers who, she said, were part of a golden era of success for the Ballyea senior hurling team.

Ms O’Loughlin said that she had the privilege of coaching TJ from u10s to his last training session on December 14th.

Ms O’Loughlin said that TJ “was a model player and a true leader on the field where he let his hurling do the talking”.

She said that TJ “was hugely dedicated - first to training and last to leave”.

Ms O’Loughlin said that TJ would joke to his father that when talking about some of the county’s best forwards “I have so many of those boys in my pocket, the trousers are hanging off me”.

“God blessed TJ with great athleticism, he had speed, strength and long limbs and made bags of contribution to any team he represented."

“TJ was always earmarked to pick up the opposition’s best player and he never failed to deliver."

She said that TJ reached County A finals at U-13, U-15 and U-16 and played in a Féile A final with Ballyea. Ms O’Loughlin said that TJ also represented St Flannan’s in this year’s Dean Ryan hurling competition.

His mother, Suzanne said that during TJ’s TY year last year at St Flannans College, he was delighted to do work experience at Clare Marts and another week at a dairy farm “which he enjoyed immensely”.

Fr Pat Malone told mourners that “disbelief and shock began to register with people” last Saturday as work began to filter through over the tragedy.

He said: “There are no perfect words for a time like this - the suffering, the shock, the hurt is so devastating, overwhelming and so deep that words cannot reach into them."

Fr Malone said that he stands with the Chambers family in the midst of that suffering "and shares that suffering and pain a little bit with you".

Addressing the Chambers family, Fr Malone said: “Nothing I say will lessen your loss but know this - this entire community stands with you, prays for you and carries this burden with you and will be there for you when you need them.”

Fr Malone said that TJ lived his 16 years of life fully and engaged with life enthusiastically and brought great joy to those he knew and loved.

Fr Malone said that it is tragic and cruel that TJ’s life has been cut short.

He said: “The shock of last Saturday will never be forgotten by all who knew TJ. So too the joys in the 16 years will not be forgotten either."

Fr Malone said that TJ has gone from our physical world but he is with all of us who loved him and cared for him - for emotion and attachment works that way.

Fr Malone described TJ as a loving, caring son and addressing the family he said that TJ was with you for just 16 short years "and you said it yourselves, he brought love and magic and he gave you values and he brought fun and craic and a sense of mischievousness".

Co-parish priest, Fr Malone said that “TJ touched the lives of so many people by the gifts you gave him and the way in which you brought him up”.

Some of the items brought up to the altar to symbolise TJ’s life included his hurley and sliotar, his plans for Agricultural Science project for his Leaving Cert, Xbox controller, his beef genetics book, and a ‘Bonny Baby’ Trophy which he won in 2009.

TJ Chambers’ remains were later laid to rest at Ballyea Church grounds.