MOURNERS at the funeral of Belfast barber Dean McIlwaine have heard how his family will "probably never know" about the last few hours of his life.
Several hundred people gathered in Carnmoney to pay their final farewells to the 22-year-old, who was described as "kind and generous" and a person who "loved style and clothes".
Widespread searches had been carried out for Mr McIlwaine from Newtownabbey, who had been missing for nine days when his body was found at Cave Hill Country Park last Saturday.
He had been last seen in the Carnmoney Road area on July 13. Police are not treating his death as suspicious.
Mourners packed into Carnmoney Presbyterian Church today for his funeral, with many forced people to stand outside due to the large numbers attending. Barber shops in Belfast and Newtownabbey also closed for a period of time to allow staff to attend the service.
Rev John Dickinson told mourners that the past nine days had taken their toll on Mr McIlwaine's devastated family and friends.
"Dean's parents and friends know so little about the last hours of his life and will probably never know exactly what happened and we are not here today to speculate on that." he said.
"On top of that, the stresses of the search for Dean which stretched out over nine long days and nights have been hard to deal with.
"Which is why today has been so important - because with the help of his friends we have tried to remember and give thanks for his short but wonderful life.
"What words are there adequate to the loss that this family have sustained and the trauma they have experienced not only personally but in a very public way."
The minister also described how Mr McIlwaine, a former Ballyclare Secondary School pupil, was "soft-hearted".
"He was kind and generous, both to his parents and his family and others," he said.
"He had been teaching his cousin and a friend to cut hair.
"He loved style and clothes and was immaculately turned out. He was soft-hearted in many ways and when you got to know him it was hard not to love him."
Mr McIlwaine had been due to open a new barber’s shop in Carnmoney later this month, which Rev Dickinson said "was going to be finished to a very high standard".
He was laid to rest in Carnmoney Cemetery.
