Priest asks congregation attending Gary Hutch funeral to 'break cycle of violence'
The congregation at the funeral of murdered Dublin criminal Garry Hutch has been told "to break the cycle of violence - by not seeking revenge".
34-year-old Hutch was gunned down outside his apartment in Miraflores in the Costa del Sol almost two weeks ago, in an attack Gardaí have described as gang-related.
He will be laid to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery following funeral mass which was monitored by a discreet garda presence.
The father of one was repatriated back to Dublin in recent days ahead of this morning’s funeral in Dublin’s North Inner City.
An estimated 400 attended the service in Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott Street.
Reports in the media had suggested a "ring of steel" would be in place, but that did not materialise as gardaí kept a discreet presence.
In his homily, Reverend Richard Ebejer said those gathered were not there to "judge" Gary Hutch, but to "pray for him".
He said words are not adequate to describe the "grief and outrage" at the circumstances of what he described as an "unjust and cruel death".
He told the congregation that "nothing can justify the taking of anyone’s life", and warned that evil cannot be overcome by evil, saying that Jesus "invites us all to break the cycle of violence - by not seeking revenge".
