Quiet Funeral Mass for two quiet and ‘humble’ brothers

An "ultra-quiet" Funeral Mass, reflective of the elderly brothers who had been described as shadows in their local community, took place on Saturday in the Deaf Village, a resource centre for the hard-of hearing in Cabra, Dublin.

There were no crowds lining the street waiting for a hearse to arrive, no crowds shaking hands outside the chapel waiting for a hearse to leave; there was no hearse.

Daniel and William McCarthy were found dead in their home in Millrose estate, Bluebell, west Dublin last Tuesday.

About 200 mourners, led by the brothers’ friends, the Nealon and Monaghan families, gathered in the chapel on Saturday from 10am — an hour before the Funeral Mass.

The brothers are now on the way to their native Dingle, where they will be buried after 11.30am Mass on Sunday.

At the Deaf Village, a dining room beside the Erasmus chapel had been made ready for a small reception. One of the organisers distributed a two-page statement on behalf of the brothers’ friends and asked that the funeral service be otherwise treated as a private affair.

The statement recalled William (76), or “Liam” as he was known, and Daniel (73) had come from Dingle to be educated “at a late age” at St Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys in Cabra.

After leaving school they worked as shoe makers, before moving on to the Lucas factory making car batteries. When that factory closed there were periods of unemployment, but they were helped by the National Rehabilitation Board and the National Association for the Deaf.

Liam worked as a handyman and always had a love for vintage cars, particularly the Ford Anglia, which he had driven in his younger years.

They lived together in Bluebell for 35 years, Daniel keeping to himself in his latter years – spending a lot of time at home or going for a leisurely cycle through the neighbourhood.

The statement recalled “very humble characters”, who were very private people and Daniel particularly chose to have only limited contact with the wider deaf community. The statement concluded with the wish that the brothers “move on to a new chapter” where they will “be at peace and together forever more”.

It is understood that William had been a carer for Daniel, but William died first leaving Daniel uncertain about what to do. According to reports, Daniel is believed to have lived at the house with the body of his brother for several weeks before he himself died.

The Irish Deaf Society said the deaths highlighted the "devastating effects of social isolation for senior citizens and for the senior Deaf community in Ireland".