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A blended Christian and humanist service in memory of a Co Mayo business couple who died in a fire at their home last week was told on Wednesday that “the depth of the loss for their family can barely be imagined”.
The remembrance ceremony for Eileen and Tom Mahon was held in Swinford Cultural Centre.
The couple died when a fire swept through their two-storey home at Deerpark, on the outskirts of Swinford, in the early hours of Tuesday, March 26th.
The Mahons ran a family business in Swinford selling a wide selection of bedroom furniture, carpets and blinds.
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Speaking at the remembrance service, a family friend said “the enormity of the loss of Thomas and Eileen has affected everyone in Swinford and far beyond”.
She added: “The depth of the loss for the family can barely be imagined.”
The couple’s daughters, Pearl and Claire, expressed their gratitude to the local fire brigade, An Garda Síochána and their parents’ neighbours who raised the alarm.
Gratitude was also expressed to the entire Swinford community for its “generosity and kindness”.
Items of remembrance brought forward by the couple’s four grandchildren included a bible representing Tom’s “strong faith”.
Mourners, at the request of the family, directed donations to the Gaza crisis emergency appeal.
In a poignant moment, the hearses stopped briefly at the carpet and furniture store on the Dublin Road which has been operated for years by the Mahons as a family business.
The couple’s remains were brought in the early afternoon for cremation
*This article was amended on Monday, April 8th, 2024
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