The same village in which they grew up and reared their family today came to a standstill, its tiny population still numb trying to come to terms with its tragic loss.<\/p>\n
Mourners crammed into Saint Cartha\u2019s Church to say a final farewell to the couple while many more stood outside.<\/p>\n
Outside many of James\u2019 All-Ireland teammates including captain Anthony Molloy and manager Brian McEniff gathered, visibly shook by the sudden loss of their colleague.<\/p>\n
They were joined by members of the current Donegal GAA team including manager Jim McGuinness as well as stars including Michael Murphy, Michael Langan and Shane O\u2019Donnell each wearing black armbands and crisp white shirts.<\/p>\n
Inside the church, the coffins of Noreen and James were laid side-by-side at the altar leaving family and friends grappling with more questions than they will ever have answers for.<\/p>\n
They heard Fr William Peoples tell how just a few short weeks ago at the beginning of June, the family gathered for the wedding of daughter Emma.<\/p>\n
The couple\u2019s son Eoin shared the profound loss felt by himself and his sister Emma.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, we\u2019ve lost our best friends, our shoulders to cry on, our first phone call if something went wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve lost our heroes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never wanted for anything as kids. We were spoiled with more than material things; we were spoiled with love and care and warmth, and loads of food from Mammy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eoin said his parents had found something together that not everyone experiences in life.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot everyone gets to meet their soulmate. We have comfort in knowing that we can safely say our Mum and Dad were meant for each other,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were always great for heading on their adventures and touring. They\u2019d head off with their picnics and bikes packed and just see where the road took them.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways together, always happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Mum and Dad are now heading on their last journey together forever, the way they always wanted it to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma gave thanks to the garda\u00ed and emergency services in Cavan and to the ICU, management and staff at Beaumont Hospital who cared for Noreen during her final hours.<\/p>\n
She also thanked those who helped bring her mother home to Kilcar on Wednesday, everyone involved in the wake and funeral, and those who formed guards of honour.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe learned very quickly over the last week that our Mum and Dad left us with a very special group of family and friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve all shown us incredible support since Monday, but not just since Monday, through our whole lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among those in attendance was T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris as well as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee.<\/p>\n
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Gary Doherty, Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher, Deputy Pearse Doherty and other Donegal County Councillors were also present.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The chief celebrant, Kilcar Parish Priest Fr Peoples, was joined by Canon John Gallagher, Monsignor Eoin Thynne, Fr Gerard Cunningham, Fr Paul McGeehan, Fr Se\u00e1n O\u2019Gallch\u00f3ir, Fr Colm O\u2019Gallchoir, Fr Philip Daly and Fr Charlie Byrne.<\/p>\n
As the Mass opened, Fr Peoples reflected on the love surrounding the couple and the hope offered by the Feast of the Assumption.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery prayer that is uttered goes to the heart of how James and Noreen were aware of how much they had been loved,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat love doesn\u2019t stop now. It will continue on from one to the other, from one generation to the next.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis day will be remembered for a long, long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there is hope somewhere in this darkness, and the hope is in what we celebrate today as well. This is the Feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother, a very fitting day.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his homily, Fr Peoples returned to the joy that had filled the same church on 5 June this year, when James and Noreen\u2019s daughter Emma married Diarmaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a fun time. It was a beautiful time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He recalled teasing Noreen during the wedding rehearsal about whether she would wear \u201ca hat or a feather\u201d the following day.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoreen was well able for me, in her lovely, lovely quiet manner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The church had been buzzing with excitement when James proudly walked his daughter down the aisle.<\/p>\n
Fr Peoples also remembered sitting with James at the reception in the Blue Haven, where they discussed the food as they cut through their steaks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a joyful day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s unimaginable, when we think of it, unimaginable that this day today could come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fr Peoples said no one knew what lay ahead in life or how they would manage to cope with loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s part of living and it\u2019s part of dying, isn\u2019t it? Because we\u2019re only on a pilgrimage, and sometimes the pilgrimage may end early and, other times in our lifetime, it can be lengthy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Remembering James as a strong and talented footballer, Fr Peoples said one of the proudest days of his life came in 1992, when he and his brother Martin helped bring the Sam Maguire Cup home to Donegal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a fantastic time. It was a great time to rejoice in the county. It was a great time of togetherness among people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also paid tribute to Noreen\u2019s many years of service as secretary of the local primary school, Scoil Cartha Naofa, and the support she had given him during his five years in the parish.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was the anchor, in many ways,\u201d he said. \u201cShe excelled herself in her work. She played an important role in the formation of the education for children, in a way the teachers would understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made it her business to make things easier for people, and nothing was ever a bother to Noreen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is going to be a huge, huge miss,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He also remembered Noreen\u2019s invitations to the family home for a fish supper.<\/p>\n
Fr Peoples said football, cooking and school management reflected the couple\u2019s individual gifts but did not define who they were.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were much more than that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey loved their family. That\u2019s what was important. The love for the family unit, the love for the home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fr Peoples said the couple\u2019s relationship, which began after they got to know each other at Carrick Tech, was almost \u201csomething that\u2019s made for the movies\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey loved each other deeply. One just lived for the other, and that was very evident,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said they also shared a deep love of God and offered words of comfort to the McHugh and O\u2019Donnell families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey live on. They live on in a different way. They live on at a different level. They live on, looking towards the face of God,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if I can say anything to give a little bit of comfort to your family, to the McHugh and the O\u2019Donnell family today, it is: you will meet them eventually, in some way and somehow.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep that in mind and it\u2019ll lift the darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The couple\u2019s lives and passions were reflected in the offertory procession. A Donegal jersey recalled James\u2019s proud role in the county\u2019s historic 1992 All-Ireland victory, while a frying pan represented Noreen\u2019s love of cooking and the warm welcome she extended to others in their home.<\/p>\n
The popular song Home to Donegal was also sung in the church.<\/p>\n
Outside in the heavy August air, sunshine greeted the funeral cort\u00e8ge as it left the church to travel through the village and out to Towney Graveyard for burial.<\/p>\n
All businesses in the village kept their doors closed as a mark of respect to the couple who were so much part of the fabric of everyday life.<\/p>\n
The green and yellow bunting earring the proud Kilcar colours the only sound flapping in the wind from telegraph poles.<\/p>\n
Once again along the route, members of the Donegal 1992 All-Ireland winning team lined the street as did members of the current Donegal senior GAA team.<\/p>\n
Members of the couple\u2019s beloved Kilcar GAA Club also lined the route the short distance to the couple\u2019s final resting place close to the rugged yet stunning coastline.<\/p>\n
Heads bowed in silence, tears trickling down faces, all still asking the question, \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The same village in which they grew up and reared their family today came to a standstill, its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[40],"tags":[9,10,6368,18,13,14,11250,6,19,17,270204,11,12,15,16,5,270205,5615,7,8],"class_list":["post-638898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-donegal","tag-eire","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-funeral","tag-headlines","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-james-mchugh","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-noreen-mchugh","tag-rip","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117100432998368023","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}