MEMBERS of Co Tyrone GAA football team Clonoe O'Rahillys formed a guard of honour yesterday at the funeral of a former team-mate who died following a battle with motor neurone disease.
Johnny Hughes, a father-of-two from Coalisland, died at the age of 35 in Canada where he had been living for the past 11 years with his family.
He had been diagnosed with motor MND five years ago and died in a palliative care unit in Ontario on September 22 with his family by his side.
At his funeral yesterday in the Church of the Holy Family in Coalisland, Fr Michael Seery said Mr Hughes was "very popular all his life and left a lasting impression on everyone he met".
He told mourners that the talented footballer played both for his school and for Clonoe O'Rahillys where one of his proudest moments was taking part in the minor championships in 2001 with the Clonoe team clinching victory.
He spoke of how Mr Hughes loved to travel, first to Australia and then to Canada, adding that it was there he met his partner Danyell, with whom he went on to have two "beautiful" children, Jack and Grace.
Fr Seery described Mr Hughes as a vibrant personality, a person who "lived life to the full and will be remembered every day for his smile".
During the offertory procession, items including photographs and a Clonoe O'Rahillys shirt were carried to the altar.
Players wore club colours in memory of their "good friend", who was known to many of them by his nickname 'Joker'.
They also flanked the cortege as Mr Hughes' body travelled the short distance from his home at Gortgonis to the church.
A celebration of his life also took place in Peterborough, Canada.
A spokesperson for McCloskey International said Mr Hughes was the first person to transfer from the company's Northern Ireland base in Coalisland to its offices in Canada.
He described him as an "esteemed and respected" member of the company whose "infectious smile and good nature" made him a huge success not just at the firm but in the Peterborough area as a whole.
"The outpouring of grief and condolences goes to show how well respected he was in the area," he said. "He will be missed by his family and so many friends on both sides of the Atlantic."
Mr Hughes was interred in St Mary and St Joseph's Cemetery.
He is survived by his partner Danyell, children Jack and Grace, brothers and sisters Jackie, Sharon, Paul, Paddy, Joanne and Niamh.
