Criminal's funeral cortege brings city to standstill
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Thursday March 26 2009
A HIACE van bedecked with floral wreaths -- including one in the shape of a horse's head -- led the funeral cortege of one of the country's most ruthless criminals through the streets of Limerick yesterday.
Traffic in the city came to a standstill shortly after noon when the remains of Philip Collopy (29) were brought by horse-drawn carriage from St Mary's Church to the burial ground on the other side of the city.
Collopy pointed a Glock handgun at his head and shot himself accidentally in the St Mary's Park estate last Saturday.
So many wreaths were brought to yesterday's funeral that a hearse and the Hiace van, with a tricolour on the front, was required to transport them to Castlemungret cemetery.
Collopy's piebald horse, with a young boy clutching the reins, also walked the five miles across the city alongside the bronze-coloured aluminium casket.
Gardai kept a discreet watch.
Up to 300 mourners filed into the church to comfort Philip's parents, Jack and Bernie. Also there were his six brothers: Raymond, Brian, Kieran, Vincent, Jonathan and Damien; and his sister Jessica, along with his two children, Philip junior and Courtney.
A close friend, Declan Sheehy, said the Collopy family were brokenhearted and would never get over his sudden death.
"I am his best pal and I know I will never get over it," Mr Sheehy said.
A photograph of the deceased criminal was placed alongside his large casket. Mourners heard that Collopy loved life and animals, including his horses, goats and pigeons.
Fr Donough O'Malley noted the contrasts in life over recent weeks. He noted the celebrations of St Patrick's Day and the success of the Irish rugby team and boxer Bernard Dunne at the weekend.
The priest said the human condition is full of contrasts. "There is joy and sorrow, grace and sin," he commented.
As the coffin was lowered into the ground, 14 doves and pigeons were released at the cemetery .
Since 1998, Collopy had earned 23 criminal convictions for a variety of offences including handling stolen property, threatening to kill, criminal damage, engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour, assaulting a guard and traffic offences.
Along with murdered crime boss Kieran Keane, Collopy, at the age of 20, was identified as the prime suspect for the murder of Eddie Ryan in the Moose bar in Limerick in 2000. It was the first murder in the city's ongoing gang feud.
- Barry Duggan
