SEVERAL hundred people attended the funeral of plastic bullet campaigner Brendan Duffy in north Belfast yesterday.
His teenage son Seamus was the last person to be killed in the north by a plastic bullet in August 1989.
From the Oldpark area of north Belfast, he died suddenly at home last Friday.
Mr Duffy and his wife Kathleen had been involved in campaigning against plastic bullets since the death of their son nearly 30 years ago.
The 15-year-old was hit in the chest by a round fired by police when rioting broke out in the New Lodge area during an anti-internment bonfire.
Mr Duffy's coffin was draped in a tricolour as it was carried to the doors of Sacred Heart Church, while the hearse contained two large floral tributes of the words 'daddy' and 'granda'.
During Requiem Mass, Fr Patrick Devlin spoke of the "devastation" felt by the Duffy family after the death of Seamus.
He spoke of the relationship between Mr Duffy and his wife as being one of "first love and only love".
"I hope that his soul is in peace with Seamus in the happiness of heaven," the priest added.
An inquest found no evidence that Seamus had been involved in rioting at the time he was killed.
His death sparked criticism from politicians and human rights groups over the use of plastic bullets.
No RUC officers were disciplined or charged in connection with his death.
After Requiem Mass, Mr Duffy's remains were taken to the City Cemetery for burial.
