Odhran’s 1st year Anniversary Mass will be held in Dungiven Chapel on Thursday 4th September 2025 at 7pm.
Firstly, apologies for late acknowledgement,
We the family of Odhran Archibald O’Connor, (Archie to his friends) would like express our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to each and everyone of you who sympathised with us and supported us following the sudden loss of Odhran, our precious and much-loved son, brother, Grandson, nephew, cousin and close friend.
We were overwhelmed by the huge support from the entire Dungiven community during the wake and to those who brought food, sent flowers, sent messages of condolences, mass cards and sympathy cards, we thank you. A special thanks to those family members who travelled from Australia & America. We also offer our heartfelt thanks to our extended family, friends and neighbours who visited our home and attended the wake and funeral especially the many friends of Odhran.
Sincerest thanks to Father Sweeney for his prayers, words of comfort and attendance throughout the wake and funeral. Thanks also to Annie-Joe Kealey for preparing the Church.
A special thanks to Joanna Cooke (nurse) and paramedics who attended to Odhran.
We would also like to extend a very special thanks to, Cathal Rip (Odhran’s cousin), Jolene, Charlene, Siobhan and Catherine who helped out during the wake, I will be forever grateful for your unwavering help & kindness, words cannot express our gratitude for all the kindness and generosity given to us at that time.
A special thanks to Jolene Grieve and Martin Kealey for the beautiful songs and music, a special thanks to Jolene & Charlene for making the impossible possible.
Also, to Cathal’s flowers for the beautiful arrangements.
A special thanks to Deborah & Seamus, John, and Paddy of McLaughlin’s Funeral directors for managing the wake and Funeral arrangements in such a dignified compassionate and respectful manner.
It would be impossible to thank everyone individually; therefore, we do hope that this acknowledgement will be accepted as a token of our heartfelt and sincere appreciation to all who in any way cared for us during this difficult time.
We also want to extend a massive heartfelt thanks to the Ford Sierra Club, to the young lads & ladies in the Diffing Community who attended wake & funeral in their beautiful cars, especially Darryl and anyone else who helped to organise everything on the day of the funeral. The guard of honour of Sierra’s for Odhran was both heartfelt and overwhelming.
If there was one thing that defined Odhran it was his love of cars, especially within the Sierra Community, his friends in this community travelled far & wide to attend the funeral, the show you all put on the day of the funeral was unforgettable, he would be so honoured & proud of each and every one of you and for that we thank you. The entire family were touched by how much Odhran was thought of in your community throughout the wake. We know Odhran’s memory will live on with all your help especially his closest friends who went to Donegal Rally every single year with Odhran.
Also thank you all for the event arranged on Odhran’s Birthday at Nuts Corner it was both moving and memorable and showed how well respected and thought of he truly was.
On 30th August the lads in the Northern Ireland Ford Sierra Club are doing a car run organised in Odhran’s memory for his 1st Anniversary starting from GAA grounds Owenbeg at 10am to Killybeggs for a good diff!
One final message to all you beautiful Young people is “talk to someone anyone just talk”