The Late Bernard Donovan Bernard Donovan should have been moving into his new home in Cork with his long-term partner Mary Morris. Instead the 30-year-old Cahersiveen man was laid to rest in his home town beside his mother Ina and his sister Triona. The people of Cahersiveen were left numb this week as they learnt that tragedy had once again struck the popular and well respected Donovan family. There were few words of comfort that could be found for Bernard's heartbroken father PJ, the former Fine Gael County Councillor, who had already buried his wife Ina and their 15-year-old daughter Triona. Bernard, an employee of Iarnrod Eireann in Kent Station in Cork, was found dead in his house in Cork City by his younger brother John just after 7am on Saturday. It is understood that Bernard suffered a severe asthma attack. His girlfriend Mary Morris from Thurles in Co Tipperary, who he had met in Australia six years ago, had gone home for the weekend. Bernard was due to spend Saturday packing in preparation for the couple moving into their new home in Carrigtwohill on Sunday. His death is a devastating blow for his father PJ, his brothers Christopher, Padriag, John, sister, Sandra and his 88 year old grandmother Kathleen Clifford. The family had only in recent years begun to recover from 15-year-old Triona's death in April 1997 after being struck by meningitis and Ina's death in August 1998 from cancer. In 1999, PJ successfully contested the local government elections for Fine Gael in the Killorglin electoral area. However last June he narrowly lost his seat despite polling 1,730 first preference votes. PJ worked with Eircom but in recent years was umeployed by Foilmore Quarries. Upon learning of his son's death on Saturday morning, PJ travelled to Cork and returned home that night with Bernard's body. On Tuesday morning the crowds overspilled from the O'Connell Memorial Church in Cahersiveen as close family friend of the Donovan's, Fr Brendan O'Sullivan, tried to offer the family some consolation. Fr O'Sullivan said Bernard was a fun loving, bright young person and sadly all future dreams and possibilities have been shattered by his death. The tears flowed freely amongst men and women as the priest reminded the crowd that Bernard had gone to his eternal home with his mother Ina and sister Triona, who would have received him with open arms. "Bernard's death has left us with many questions. Why so young? why now? why us again? and why Bernard? but none of us have the answers. Life is a total mystery and it is a mystery of faith. Sometimes in the toughest lessons there are no reasons but this is not a time to blame anyone," Fr O'Sullivan said. The Longford-based priest said Bernard had gone through his own pain when he lost his sister and then his mother but he had faced life again even when it was a most trying journey. "Bernard did not sit on selfpity and he would not want us to give up but to do the best we can as our stories unfold before us. Make people happy and have fun. Mix the joy and the sorrow and have the awareness of God's presence, Bernard would say," he said. Throughout the service there was complete silence amongst the mourners as if everyone was still too shocked to accept that once again the Donovan family was in mourning. Bernard's close friend sang some of his favourite songs including a song about Australia where he lived for 18 months. After the communion the Cahersiveen song 'Barr na Straide' - and the street where Bernard lived - was sung. Once again there was a heavy silence as the tears flowed freely. Later PJ and Bernard's brothers carried his coffin from the church to the main street where a guard of honour by St Mary's GAA Club was waiting to bring the young Cahersiveen man to his final resting place beside Ina and Triona in Holy Cross Cemetery. Tweet

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