Father killed in Moy crash ‘loved his children beyond measure’, funeral told

By Claudia Savage, Press Association

A 31-year-old father killed in a road collision loved his four children “beyond measure”, and his family have been “thrown into turmoil”, his funeral has heard.

Conor Quinn was one of three people killed in a major road crash in Moy, Co Tyrone, at the weekend.

John Guy, 48, who was originally from Dublin but living in Keady, Co Armagh, and 23-year-old Laura Hoy-Henry, from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, were also killed.

Four other people were injured in the incident, which involved three cars – a red BMW, a grey Volkswagen and a white Audi – at around 10:20pm on Saturday.

At Mr Quinn’s funeral mass at St Brigid’s Church, Brocagh on Wednesday, Father John Gates said on news of the collision, thoughts of the community were “immediately with the families of all those who had been affected, and especially with the family of Conor, Laura and John”

“Sometimes there are just no words, no words that can encapsulate the pain and despair families feel in the face of such a tragedy,” the priest told mourners.

He added: “Conor’s loved ones have been engulfed also by a terrifying storm, a storm of his passing.

“These past few days, your lives have been thrown into turmoil by the storm of his sad passing.”

Fr Gates continued: “The death of a loved one is never easy, but the pain is always so much more intense when that death is as tragic and as unexpected as Conor’s.

“There’s always unfinished business, the things left unsaid, the what ifs and the whys, the unending questions that don’t have any answers, and we could easily torment ourselves trying to find answers that simply do not exist and Conor, I have no doubt, would not have wanted you, his family, the people he loved most in the world, to go down that road.

“A loving son, father, brother, grandson, very good friend to so many.

“You all have your own special memories of Conor. It is those memories of love and laughter that will sustain you in the days, weeks and months and years that lie ahead.

“I know the trauma and the stress that his death has brought to each of you, and I pray that the Lord will be close to you to comfort and console you and walk with you at this difficult time.

“Conor lived for his family. He loved beyond measure his four children, Riley, Garry, Cathair, Turlough.

“Their faces always lit up, I’m told when they saw him, he just wasn’t their dad, he was their best friend at every family function.”

Fr Gates said Conor was “always striving to be the best version of himself” and his family knew that “with the proper help and direction, he would have succeeded”.

“They will never forget his mischievous smile and infectious laugh. These have indeed been very dark days for all of you,” he said.