Donegal drowning victim remembered for his ‘fun-loving heart and a warm smile’ at funeral

The funeral has taken place in Buncrana, Co Donegal of Emmanuel Familola, one of two young friends who tragically drowned in Lough Swilly last weekend.

Several hundred mourners, many of them in tears, packed into St Mary’s Oratory for the requiem, as a white coffin bearing the 16-year-old’s remains was carried to the altar.

Buncrana Parish Priest Fr Francis Bradley said Emmanuel was a precious boy with a “fun-loving heart, a warm smile, a sharp wit, and great charisma.”

“He will be missed by so very many of his friends and contemporaries. He was a credit to his mother, his brothers, his family and his country – a true ambassador of hope.”

“Emmanuel distinguished himself by his devotion of heart, by his courtesy, calmness and sense of gratitude for anything and everything he was given,” Fr Bradley said, adding that it was “distressingly difficult for all of us to come to terms with this tragedy”.

He said “the gloomy and foreboding shadow of death has hung over us” since the tragedy.

The poignant service began with the Safe Haven choir singing Amazing Grace. There was also music by the choir of Scoil Mhuire, the Buncrana school where Emmanuel had been a much-loved pupil.

Emmanuel's heartbroken mother, Glory, pictured at her son's funeral in Buncrana.

Chief among the mourners were Emmanuel’s heartbroken mother, Glory, his younger brothers Daniel and John, members of his extended family, and his family and friends from the Sailor’s Rest centre in Buncrana.

Commandant Joe Glennon, Aide de Camp to the Taoiseach, represented An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and An Tánaiste Simon Harris.

The Saturday morning requiem was also attended by heroic members of our emergency services, including An Garda Síochana, the RNLI, Coast Guard, and the Ambulance Service, who had tried so desperately to save Emmanuel and Matt just seven days before.

There were a number of items offered in representation of Emmanuel’s short life. Ruth Garvey-Williams brought forward a collage of photos from his recent trip to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he attended and thoroughly enjoyed. The Department has since reached out to his mother, Glory, and her boys, to offer deepest condolences.

His brother Daniel brought forward Emmanuel's beloved Manchester City shirt, while his brother John offered up a Bible, to signify his deep faith.

The first reading was delivered by Ayomide Kayola, Emmanuel’s cousin, who fought back the tears to get the words out. The second reading was by Billy Banda, leader of the African Community in Donegal.

In his homily, Fr Bradley told those present how Emmanuel Kolawole Familola was born on April 17, 2009 – and from that day forward, he had been blessed with an innate nature to always help others.

“Not only was Emmanuel his mother’s first-born son, but he was the eldest grandchild in his family circle too. He was precious, for it was he who looked out for others’ needs. He was endlessly patient and kind, and so, so respectful; such an attractive personality given the plethora of gifts and talents he possessed, and every one of them carried with gentle ease and good humour.”

“Perhaps without even being aware of it, Emmanuel sought out vulnerable kids in school, or more precisely, they sought him out, drawn to his fun-loving heart, his warm smile, his sharp wit, and his great charisma. In Emmanuel, they found the shelter they needed amid the storms of life and living.”

Fr Bradley said the 16-year-old – who died along with his teenage friend – was an excellent student who always gave his best.

“Emmanuel had a serene magnetism to him which crossed social, ethnic and cultural boundaries - for his warmth and charisma spoke every language, touched every heart.”

“All of this has made the tragedy which befell himself and Matt Sibanda, from Zimbabwe, on Saturday evening last all the more difficult to comprehend, all the more painful for his family, for all of us and especially for his friends who were there and did their best to help.”

The Buncrana Parish Priest said the teenagers’ deaths have cast a dark shadow over everyone in the community.

“Although the sun has been bright in the sky these days, the gloomy and foreboding shadow of death has hung over us all on the banks of this lovely lake. It is distressingly difficult for all of us to come to terms with this tragedy.”

Fr Bradley added: “But could I say that the difficulty must be unbearable for those who did their best to save Emmanuel and Matt – the search crews from the RNLI and the Coast Guard, the flotilla of yachts who combed the lake, and most especially Ottman and Mohammed, their friends, who spent themselves in doing their very best for them.”

“And now may Emmanuel Kolawole Familola and Matt Sibanda both rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, Tony Joel, a neighbour of the Familola family in Nigeria, expressed his thanks on behalf of the African communities in Derry, Donegal, and the entire African community in Ireland, as well as on behalf of Glory Familola and the Familola family back home in Nigeria.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the people from Buncrana, from Inishowen and from Donegal for being there for us from the moment this tragedy happened. Thank you to the RNLI, all the emergency services and the hospital staff at Letterkenny General Hospital who tried so hard to save Emmanuel.”

“We cannot thank you enough for the unity and love you have given to this family and for supporting us all in this hard time. May Almighty God continue to bless this community and every family here,” he said.

Emmanuel was laid to rest at nearby Cockhill Cemetery following the funeral mass.

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