Catholics and Protestants shouldered their coffins and their grief together at Poyntzpass, Co Armagh, yesterday. Throughout the day in remorseless, saturating rain, Catholic and Protestant neighbours attended Catholic and Protestant funeral services and visited Catholic and Protestant funeral homes, to pay their respects to two grieving families.
Poyntzpass is a tiny village in the rolling hills of Armagh. The Trainor and Allen families had a heavy weight to carry yesterday - and local people turned out quietly in their hundreds to support them.
The Presbyterian and Catholic graveyards where Philip Allen and Damien Trainor were laid to rest are in sight of each other, as are the Catholic and Presbyterian churches, as are the Allen and Trainor homes.
The murders of the two friends in Dessie Canavan's Railway Bar on Tuesday night struck deep into the heart of this village, "the most integrated community" in Northern Ireland, as was noted by the local MP, Mr Seamus Mallon.
There is nothing forced about the cross-community interplay in Poyntzpass. There are no ugly graffiti or murals on the walls. When local people talk about a village at ease with itself you believe them.
Damien Trainor and Philip Allen were friends since they were children. When masked gunmen came to kill them on Tuesday night they were discussing wedding arrangements. Philip was to marry Carol Magill this summer, and Damien was to be best man.
Philip's brothers, David and Alfred, were in the pub with them. They escaped with their lives. Yesterday David, Alfred and third brother, Jeffrey, as well as shouldering their own brother's coffin, bore the coffin of his friend Damien to the Catholic church at noon.
Less than three hours later, Damien's brother James helped the Allen brothers as they shared the weight of Philip Allen's coffin, as it slowly made its way past the Railway Bar and towards the little Presbyterian church.
Outside the bar the customary wreaths were laid. Amidst them a single candle, protected by a little red globe, glowed gently. The messages came from both sides. "To Damien and Philip," read one. "Please let us all take the same stand as you did, and we could all be at peace."
Damien Trainor was laid to rest first. Afterwards, at the request of the Trainor and Allen families, the mourners thronged into the local hall for a light lunch. Protestant and Catholic clergy led the mixed congregations in equally fervent prayers in the respective churches. Carol Magill was also at the two services. She held up well until the coffin of her fiancee, Philip Allen, was lowered into the ground.
With tears streaming down her face she dropped red roses on top of the casket.
The day of the masked men was done, the local Catholic parish priest, Father Brian Hackett told them. He had questions for the killers: "Are you scared about the integrated pubs and businesses around the place, are you scared that there are other Damiens and Philips all over Northern Ireland? Maybe we are all dreamers in Poyntzpass, but I say it is all over bar the shouting, and do these men realise that?"
