The brother of an Irish climber who lost his life in an Italian avalanche last week told mourners at his funeral this morning that his brother lived his life his way and “died doing something he loved”.
Shay Casey (40), from Rochestown in Cork city, was killed on July 31st after he was hit by an avalanche while climbing with 11 others in the Aosta region of the Italian Alps.
Mourners gathered inside and outside St Columba’s Church in Douglas today to pay their sympathies to his heartbroken parents, Jim and Joan, to his brothers and sister, and to celebrate his life.
Mr Casey, who lived in London where he worked as a quantity surveyor, was a member of the well-known Casey family who own furniture stores in Cork and Limerick.
The UCC graduate was remembered as a man with a “go do it attitude”, a passionate lover of the outdoors and of travelling, and as someone who was generous with his time to others.
In a eulogy, his brother David told the packed church they had been overwhelmed as a family by the texts and emails they received in the wake of Shay’s death, and thanked everyone for their support.
He said from the day he was born it was obvious Shay, the youngest of six, was “the apple” of their mother’s eye.
He told how his brother, who qualified as a ski-instructor, always went “his own road”, and after being bitten by the travel bug, had gone from London to Sydney and from Cape Town to Cairo by land, visiting more than 50 countries over a two-year period.
“As a family we can stand back with great pride and admire the road that Shay followed. We were so proud of him.... Those shoes will never be filled.
“It has been an absolute privilege to know you Shay and I’m very proud to say Shay Casey was my brother,” said David.
Prayers were said for the rescue team who recovered Shay’s body.
Fr Jim Culliton, a Jesuit priest who knew Shay when he was a pupil at Clongowes Wood College, said Shane's death was a tragedy. The past few days had been a real challenge for his family, particularly for his parents as, "nobody ever expects to bury a child".
But he said said there was much to learn from Shay and how he lived his life.
“In some ways he may have been an ordinary man, but it is clear he lived and loved his life to the full and so was extraordinary in doing so.”
“Shay touched the lives of his family and friends and so many others so that as well as need to grieving his loss we need to celebrate who he is and was.”