THE couple in their eighties who were tragically found dead in their Co Cork home on Monday were “inseparable” and had been in love for over five decades, their funeral heard today.
Michael O’Sullivan and his wife Ann were found dead near the stairs of their terraced home in Glounthaune on Monday night.
Foul play has been ruled out in relation to their deaths by the Gardai.
It is believed that the tragic couple may have been helping each other down the stairs when they fell together and were fatally injured.
They were formally pronounced deceased by a local GP.
Michael is deeply regretted by Sylvia and his nieces, Maureen and Yvonne, while Ann is deeply regretted by Julie, her nieces Aoife, Bríona, Orla and Fiona, her nephews Eolan and Diarmaid.
At their funeral today, the priest told hundreds of mourners at Sacred Heart Church that their death was “tragic” and that they had a huge impact on everyone in the community and beyond.
He spoke about how Ann and Michael were well-known within the community through their support for local businesses, the GAA club and the church.
During the funeral mass, the grieving family brought up items that represent the tragic couple.
A crucifix represented their “deep” religious faith, while a Cork jersey represented Michael’s great interest in GAA.
A history book and a photograph of the village showed the couple’s great interest in their local area and topics such as politics, history and Gaelic.
Lastly, a radio reflected the importance of communication in their lives .
Mourners were told how Michael loved to use it to listen to matches, sparking debates and discussions with the locals and his friends.
The parish priest said: “The history book means so much. Our connection with our place, our country, our local place.
“It’s so important that we have links with our people and our kind.
LAID TO REST TOGETHER
“Michael was the navigator. They were inseparable. So, what we say about one, we could equally say about the other. They were so close to each other.
“Her other great love and Michael’s great love, I noticed there’s no number on that jersey, but it meant so much for them. They were so meshed in the traditions and the values and the games of Ireland.”
The priest told how the tragic couple had been in love with each other for over 50 years.
He continued: “On the anniversary of my ordination, I got many cards, some people in the parish.
“I was doing a tidy up the other day, putting the cards away, and I came across this card, and you might recognise the writing. ‘Father, wishing you many more years of faithful service’, Michael and Ann.
“When I saw that, I got a lump in my throat.”
After the funeral mass, the couple were laid to rest together at St Joseph’s Cemetery at Little Island.
