Brian Byrne

27.01.1934 - 30.03.2012

Annie Mc Guinness nee Byrne)would like to express her grateful thanks
to the many messages of sympathy and mass cards on the passing
of her dearly beloved brother Brian. 
Many thanks also to the warmth and hospitality extended to
Maureen, Thomas Justine and Colette and her grandchildren
during their stay

Funeral Liturgy

Entrance Hymn: Hail Redeemer, King Divine

Offertory Hymn: In bread we bring you, Lord.

Communion Hymns: I watch the Sunrise ,  On Eagle's Wings

Recessional: The Old Rugged Cross

Celebrant Very Rev Gerald Powell P.P.

Homily

There is we know a time for mourning and a time for joy. These two emotions will surely find a place together in our hearts today. At the end of Brian’s life of 78 years it maybe that the need to praise God is uppermost in our minds because it is so clear how rich God’s blessings have been to him:

“My soul gives thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings”.

We are happy today because we know deep down that Brian’s life was complete and he was ready for God. We have received much from him – always generous and thoughtful – a gentleman. 

Thank you to all who cared for him in his old age.

When we retire in life we do not retire to a place but to people. The lesson of old age is that of endurance and faith. In all our lives there are the valleys and the hills, the good times and the bad times, the successes and the failures, the joys and the sorrows. We are all given a certain number of years and those who live the longest become deeply aware that this time is not given so much for our enjoyment, but rather to work out our salvation.

God knows the reality of deep pain – the pain Brian endured in the past few years of illness. Thank you to all who cared for him and loved him in life. Now his suffering is over. We pray that he is with the Lord and we look forward to the day when we will be reunited with him.

Brian was born on 27th January 1934, son of Annie and Charlie Byrne and lived at Glenbanna Lodge before moving to Miller Park. Brian has one sister, Annie and brother-in-law Tommy who live in Glasgow. His brother Jackie died in Coventry on 29th February 2012.

Brian started to work in Gilford Mill before moving to Hazelbank Weaving Company. When Hazelbank closed, Brian worked with Frazer and Co (Builders) in Belfast before eventually moving to Coventry where he worked in the car and tractor industry. He then returned from England to look after his parents. Later, he re-trained as a welder and finished his working life back in the textile industry in Irwins in Portadown.

Brian played football for Tullylish on the early 1950's and I'm told he was quite a 'versatile opponent'. He enjoyed motorcycling on his 197cc Francis Barnet along with his friends Eamon campbell, Frank McAvoy and Herbie McCart.
He liked a flutter on the horses and dogs and kept greyhounds with his good friend, Leo McEvoy. They ran the dogs at Dundalk and Dungannon.

Brian liked walking and until recently walked around Drumhorc and Kernon - some 5 miles.

He was a very generous man and was all things to all people.

On this Palm Sunday we begin our journey to Calvary and as Easter follows Good Friday, Christ’s resurrection assures us that if we follow him we will rise again.  It is only with death that life really makes sense, it’s our leap into eternity, it is God calling us home to be with him forever. At a time like this we come face to face with our own mortality.

Lent is about waiting in hope and as people of hope we believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Brian’s period of waiting is now over. No one can say he got life easy in recent times - a journey from birth to death and the reason he could see purpose in the pain or sense in the suffering was because Jesus Christ came on this earth to conquer death and save us from our sins.

He brought, care and friendship to those who knew him. Always faithful to his Church, prayer and fidelity to the mass and the sacraments were second nature to him. He died in Iveagh Home on Friday afternoon when his strength could no longer meet the challenge of life.

Now we have to let Brian go. His life gave glory to God. And now he has stretched out his tired old hands for the last time and God has taken him to himself. Let us pray with hope and gratitude for the eternal rest of this valiant man and join again in prayer: “My soul give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings”.

Let us celebrate his homecoming, with thanks to God for his long life, for the example his faith gives us; for the lessons that we learned from him about living well and dying well.

On behalf of Fr. Stephen Crossan and our parish community I offer our sympathy to his sister Annie, brother in law Tommy, nephews, nieces and the entire family circle.

I want to thank you from the bottom of all our hearts for the time and effort you put into producing the funeral order of service for my dear Uncle Brian. It was just perfect.Could you pass on our thanks also to Fr Powell and the choir for such a beautiful and touching service.Many thanks Maureen Kiernan.