A Waterford man who died after falling onto live wires in a French metro station should be remembered as a “thoughtful, passionate, loyal and funny” person, his funeral heard.
Tomás Walsh (25) was holidaying in France with friends to watch the 16th stage of the Tour de France when the incident occurred in a metro station in Paris on July 21st.
During the funeral Mass, one of Mr Walsh’s sisters recounted to mourners in St Nicholas Church, Faithlegg, Waterford, what life was like growing up with him.
“He spent his early years outside in the fields with his sisters and cousins, outside on the farm, with neighbours and with friends around the Comeraghs (mountains) and Ardmore. He had ducks and chickens,” she said.
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A fan of former international cyclist Seán Kelly, he caught the cycling bug and joined the Comeragh Cycling Club at the age of 14, and “so began a whole new chapter in his life”.
[ Tributes to Waterford cyclist (25) who died in Paris metro stationOpens in new window ]
“He met a fantastic bunch of lads, trained hard and raced together all over Ireland, abroad and became the best of friends. For the past three years Tomás transferred the passion he had to farming. His friend David Jordan and himself worked hard and long hours on the farm and they loved every bit of it.”
The congregation was told he was always thinking ahead and had plans to run the farm, often to the consternation of his father, as it was “in his blood”.
His sister said “Tomás was thoughtful, passionate and loyal, fun-loving and funny. He was always losing things and often late. We are proud and blessed to have had him as our son and brother. We love you to the moon and back and more.
“There’s a saying that a person only really goes the last time a person loves him or her mentions their name and I think if there’s any truth in that, then Tomás will never be gone.”
A family friend, speaking on behalf of Mr Walsh’s father Frank, recalled stories of the young man and visions he had for the farm in the years ahead.
Symbols of his life presented during the Mass included his cycling helmet, jersey and photos of happier times in years gone by.
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Fr PJ Breen in his homily, said Mr Walsh’s parents, Bernie and Frank,helped Mr Walsh “grow into the person he became. Faithlegg was an enormous place in Tomás’s life and was set to be like that for many years to come. In Faithlegg national school, he was elected student of the year by his classmates because of his fun-loving attitude.
“Tomás studied science and he was using that knowledge on the farm, where he was sharing more and more of responsibilities with Frank. Three years ago he committed himself to that and was very happy with that choice. He was described as one of a ‘golden group of talented cyclists’.
“He was a sociable person, travelling and meeting people. Part of his travelling was to learn about other farm techniques that he could employ (on the family farm). He had many years ahead of him and gathering here today reminds us of the fragility of life”.
Mr Walsh was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery of St Nicholas Church.
