Hundreds pay tribute to Bray firefighter
Mourners lined Bray's streets of today in an emotional tribute after the funeral of the second of two firefighters killed battling a factory blaze.
Brian Murray, 46, died alongside colleague Mark O'Shaugnessy, 26, last Wednesday as the part-time firefighters struggled to bring the blaze under control in the Co Wicklow town.
Mr O'Shaugnessy was buried yesterday.
Gardaí closed the town's main street to traffic this morning, while shops and businesses closed as a mark of respect.
Mourners lined both sides of the road outside the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, while army and fire service personnel from throughout the country formed a guard of honour.
As the coffin was lifted into the church, Bray fell silent.
Celebrant Father George Begley described Mr Murray as a dedicated and loving family man.
Offering sympathy to his wife, Mary, his 14 children and six grandchildren, he said: "Brian was a man who lived for his family.
"He was always concerned for their well being. Nothing was ever a problem to him. He was always giving to them.
"He was described to me by so many people as a real gentleman," he said.
From the Boghall area of the town, Mr Murray joined the service in early 1998 and worked as a sub-officer - the second in command in the town's fire brigade in charge of 13 other firefighters.
Locals mingled with military and fire service personnel outside the church throughout the Requiem Mass, the interior unable to accommodate the large numbers of mourners.
One long-standing resident said he had never before seen a funeral of such scale in the town.
Music was provided by the church choir, while favourite songs of Mr Murray were played sporadically throughout the service.
At one point the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe and Drum band marched through the church to the altar, before performing Amazing Grace as a senior officer saluted Mr Murray's coffin, which was draped in a Tricolour with a yellow fireman's helmet resting on top.
To the march of a lone piper, the coffin was later removed from the church, emerging on to Bray's Main Street as a sea of mourners looked on.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and President Mary McAleese were both represented by their aides-de-camp.
Local politicians and TDs, including Labour deputy leader Liz McManus and Minister for Europe Dick Roche also attended, along with Green Party leader John Gormley and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy.
The blaze which claimed the two men's lives broke out in the warehouse in the Little Bray area of the town just after 10am.
Three fire crews from Bray and neighbouring town Greystones attended.
Within an hour the roof had collapsed and it took crews until 2pm to bring the blaze under control, but they remained on stand-by throughout the day amid fears that smouldering rubble could re-ignite.
Several nearby homes were also evacuated.
