Northern Ireland

Man who died on beach lived life of faith, mourners told

Francis Casement
Francis Casement Francis Casement

MOURNERS at the funeral of Francis Casement, who died suddenly on a Co Down beach, were told all he was carrying in his pockets were car keys and rosary beads.

Fr Brendan Smyth said Mr Casement, who was in his mid-40s and from Scaddy in Downpatrick, was a quiet man with a strong faith.

He described Sunday as a day the Casement family will never forget.

Emergency services were called to Ballyhornan beach shortly before 1pm after reports of a man being pulled from the water.

The parish priest said that "in a world that mocks faith, and dismisses it as a spent force and irrelevant, in death Francis stands tall as a witness for the faith that was such a part of him and carried him through those difficult days we all encounter".

He added this was due to the love and support Mr Casement received from his parents Joe and Patsy, his sisters and brother, Bernadette, Patricia and Joseph, and his extended family

Mr Casement was described as a "constant, quiet and unobtrusive presence" in the parish family all his life.

Fr Smyth said: "The prayer I used is one that Francis would have been all too familiar with, the Hail, Holy Queen, one which he would have prayed at the end of every rosary that he prayed.

"It sums up so well the circumstances that Francis' family now find themselves in, who send up their sighs, mourning and weeping, today in this their valley of tears."

He added: "In a world that speaks often of ecology and the environment and our carbon footprint, what Francis has left in his wake is something more lasting and more precious - his spiritual footprint, that walked in love the way of Jesus, which never faltered, and whose imprint will be carried always in the heart of the many who loved Francis, our quiet, reverential, unassuming, son, brother, uncle and many more roles that he lived.

"It would be a terrible shame if, at the end of our days, we made no impact in the life of anyone, or nobody missed us or paused to say a prayer for us. This most certainly is not the case for Francis."

Inspector Frances McCullough said the death is not being treated as suspicious.

However, police would like to hear from anyone who visited the beach on Sunday morning and who may have seen a man in or around the water.