A man who died after he was fatally assaulted outside his home had a “heart of gold” and was funny, “loyal and kind”, his funeral Mass has heard.
Michael ‘Mikey’ Hayes (72) died after he was found with critical injuries outside his home at St Michael’s Court, Watergate, Limerick, on July 10th.
Retired Irish Army and United Nations soldiers, dressed in uniform, performed a guard of honour as Mr Hayes’s coffin, draped in the Tricolour, was brought inside St John’s Cathedral in the city on Friday.
Mr Hayes was a former member of the 12th Infantry Battalion Defence Forces stationed at Sarsfield Barracks, and a member of Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) Post 6.
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In a tribute, one of Mr Hayes’s four sons told mourners: “Mike brought smiles, he told stories, he made memories, but behind the craic and the spoofs was a man with a heart of gold.
“He would help anybody, no hesitation, no questions asked. If you needed him, he was there, that kind of loyalty and kindness is rare, and he gave it so freely.
“He loved the drink, a laugh and being around people. More than that, he loved his family, his friends and his community, and we loved him deeply and truly.”
He said his father’s sudden death had paralysed his family in grief, saying: “It’s impossible to come to terms with how his life ended, but we will carry his spirit.
“None of us will ever understand it, but what we do understand is the impact he made while he was here, and that’s what we’re here to remember.”
He described his late father as “an unforgettable man”.
“Our dad was a kind man, a proper character – if you knew him you’d know he was some man to make up a story, and not just any story, but a full-blown ‘Mikey-spoof’,” the son told mourners to laughter.
“He could spin a tail from nothing, and he’d have you in stitches before you realised half of it was made up.
“They would be one of those stories you wouldn’t believe about a neighbour, cousin or some poor stranger that probably never existed at all.
“But the magic was, you didn’t care because when Mikey told a story you listened and you laughed.”
His father was also known by many for his time selling ice-cream at football matches and concerts. “That’s where you’d find him with a cheeky grin, a quick joke and a ‘99 in each hand.”
Finishing his eulogy, the son said: “Rest easy, Dad. You were one in a million and we’ll be telling your stories for the rest of our lives.”
Afterwards, the late Mr Hayes, who is survived by his four sons, Tom, Michael, Brendan and Joe, was laid to rest at Mount St Oliver Cemetery, Limerick.
At Limerick District Court on Saturday, Phillip Ambrose (43), of no fixed abode, was charged with Mr Hayes’s murder.
