Tributes to Adam as he makes his final journey
By Sean Heffernan
HOMELESS campaigner Fr Peter McVerry was one of the co-celebrants at the funeral Mass for Adam Muldoon, and joined the community of Jobstown in saying goodbye to the young man who tragically lost his life on June 23.
On Tuesday, July 3, an air of sadness and disbelief filled the church of St Thomas the Apostle as large crowds gathered to pay their respects to the well-known 23 year old, who, having cerebral palsy, was known to sleep rough in the area.
Floral tributes at the scene
Rap music could be heard as the horse-drawn hearse made its way onto the church grounds, with many of the male mourners present wearing a black tie and white shirt with a pinned blue ribbon.
The church was filled beyond capacity, with many people forced to stand outside as the service commenced to a beautiful rendition of Dancing in the Sky by local performers.
The main celebrant of the mass was local parish priest Fr James McPartland, who throughout the service spoke on the themes of death and sadness, referencing the tragedy of a life taken so young and so sudden.
He was aided by Fr McVerry, who read the Gospel, and also led some of the prayers during the service.
Among the gifts brought up to the altar by family members, was a photo frame containing a picture of Adam as a child, his sunglasses, a cap and a pair of runners.
Adam’s sister Katie paid an emotional tribute to a brother she was “going to miss so, so much” and who “wouldn’t hurt a fly”.
Talking about her brother’s disability, she struggled to fight back the tears as she recalled how “the doctors told him he would never walk, but he did”.
Numerous songs were sung during the moving service, including one which referenced the various emotions those who loved a person who has passed, go through.
A number of Adam’s former teachers from St Thomas’s school in Jobstown were also present, with one remarking to those who came up to him at the end of the Mass: “I loved teaching Adam, he was so cheerful and full of life.”
Regarding the attendance of well-known Jesuit priest Fr McVerry, a spokesman for the charity told The Echo: “We have a policy in the Peter McVerry Trust, that if anyone has come into contact with our services, we would always send a representative to their funeral”.
Following the funeral Mass, Adam was laid to rest in Newlands Cross Cemetery.
Adam’s body was found in Jobstown Park shortly after 6.30am on Saturday, June 23. A male juvenile (17) has been charged with his murder.
