A HEARTFELT plea was made at Shane Geoghegan’s funeral today to help gardai catch his killers.

The Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, urged the community to act in solidarity in Shane’s memory against the city’s feuding gangs and report them to gardai.

Meanwhile the rugby player’s grieving mother, Mary Geoghegan, thanked people around the country for the support they have shown to her family.

Speaking for the first time before the mass, Mrs Geoghegan said she would like “to express our heartfelt thanks” to everyone in Limerick and across the country for the “unbelievable response” and sympathy received by the Geoghegan family.

Support

“We deeply appreciate your thoughts and your support is a great consolation to us all,” she added.

More than 1,000 people packed St Joseph’s Church this morning to pay their respects to the Garryowen rugby player.

Thousands more people were outside. Most of the congregation were in place an hour before the service was due to begin.

The hushed congregation listened intently as a letter from Bishop Murray, which was read out during the Mass, described Shane's death as a “dreadful tragedy”.

“I want to express my deepest sympathies to Tom and Mary Geoghegan and Anthony on the dreadful tragedy of the loss of their beloved Shane,” the bishop said.

“All human life is precious and murder’s never acceptable. As a community we all have a responsibility to protect life. The death of Shane has shocked all of Limerick and beyond.

“The senseless killing of an innocent man with his whole life before him is further evidence of the futility of this evil feud and the callous inhumanity with which it is pursued.

“Shane was a good man. At this difficult time, our community should honour Shane’s memory and act in solidarity in reporting any relevant information to the gardai.”

Jersey

The North Munster Gleeson Cup, a model airplane, a rugby ball and blue Garryowen jersey were placed on a table close to the altar.

Bouquets of flowers from all of Limerick’s rugby clubs were sent to the church this morning before the service.

After the service, members of Garryowen Rugby Club formed a guard of honour to their teammate and captain in a heartbreaking farewell.

They were joined by his work colleagues from Atlanta Aero Engineering in Shannon.

Shane Geoghegan was later laid to rest in Mungret cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

Thousands have signed books of condolences at Limerick’s civic buildings.

A minute’s silence will be held at this weekend’s match at Croke Park between Ireland and New Zealand.

After the funeral, the grieving family, team-mates and friends of the dead man went to Garryowen Club house in the city where they fondly recalled his playing days and shared precious memories.

- Barry Duggan