Hit and run victim fulfilled lifelong dream to record music weeks before his death, funeral told
The man who died in a hit-and-run incident in Baldoyle last week had just fulfilled a lifelong ambition of recording an album of his own music recently mourners at his funeral in Carnaross heard today.
Michael (Mikey) Farrelly (40) was killed as he walked home from a family gathering about 1am on July 17th. The occupants of the car, which had been stolen failed to remain at the scene.
Mr Farrelly’s younger brother Conor told the congregation in St Ciarán’s Church that the past week had been "the stuff of nightmares" but the family had found comfort through the support of family and friends.
Conor Farrelly said his brother “saw it as his full-time employment to act the big brother to me."
"If you googled, older brother, younger brother, I think picture of the pair of us would just appear.
“When I was younger I would ask him to buy me four cans of beer so me and my mates could sneak out to the beach. He would buy me two., four was too much," he said.
“Without a shadow of a doubt the last few weeks of Mikey’s life were the happiest I have seen him,” he added.
"He gave me so much advice about life and in so many ways shaped who I am today.
“The week before he was taken from us he fulfilled a lifelong dream, recording songs from his album. When I spoke to the studio director this week he told me Mikey was high as a kite after it, clearly elated, it was his calling.”
“At a recent family dinner he took out his guitar and played some songs for us in the kitchen and it blew me away. Afterwards I just gave him a hug. I could not be more proud of him.
"The Mikey I knew was pure unique, he felt life on a different level, the lows were low but the highs were incredibly special. His strut and smile could be spotted a mile away and his determination to pursue what made him happy was unique."
Mr Farrelly's father, Philip, is a well known business figure in Navan from his accountancy practice, Farrelly & Scully Accounting on Kennedy Road. Michael is the son of the late Sylvia Farrelly, and brother of Conor, Lucia, Philip, Noirín and Tom.
Mr Farrelly’s uncle Fr Peter Farrelly acted as chief celebrant at the funeral mass.
Fr Farrelly told mourners that there was "something very nice and very special about Mikey”, who, he said was “kind, gentle and caring”.
Mr Farrelly was buried alongside his late mother in Carnaross cemetery.
Gardaí are understood to believe the driver of the car was a person known to them who has been associated in the past with car theft.
It is also understood there was interaction between the gardaí and the occupant or occupants of the stolen car in the hours before Mr Farrelly being knocked down, but the driver had failed to stop when instructed to do so.