A funeral’s taking place for one of two teenagers who drowned in County Donegal last weekend.
16 year old Emmanuel Familola and 18 year old Matt Sibanda – who are both from Buncrana – got into difficulty when they went into the sea to get a football.
The funeral mass for Matt is being held next week.
Chief celebrant Father Francis Bradley welcomed Commandant Joe Glennon, Aide de Camp to An Taoiseach, representing Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, and his Chaplain, Father Daniel McFaul, Emmanuel’s school, Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana with their Principal Evelyn McLoughlin, the Safe Haven Christian Community.
He also welcomed representatives of the Emergency Services including An Garda Síochána, the RNLI, the Coastguard, and the Ambulance Service.
Symbols representing Emmanuel’s life were brought to the altar; photos from his recent trip to the Department of Foreign Affairs, his Manchester City shirt, a Bible and the Certificate that Emmanuel was due to receive last Monday on his completion of his time recently at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Prayers of the faithful were read by his classmates.
Emmanuel was remembered as being ‘patient and kind’ and Fr Bradley said he ‘brought a wealth of joy and peace to his mother and family’s heart’.
Fr Bradley said the deaths of Emmanuel and Matt have been ‘difficult to comprehend’, saying no one could judge the actions which led to the tragedy.
He also paid tribute to the emergency services who ‘did their very best’ for the teenagers.
