Hundreds attend Jason Corbett removal in Limerick

Hundreds of people gathered in Limerick on Tuesday night for the removal of Jason Corbett who was killed in North Carolina earlier this month.

The 39-year-old father of two was found with fatal head injuries at his home in Panther Creek Court, Walburg, on August 2nd.

His children, Jack and Sarah, arrived back in Ireland last Saturday following a protracted legal battle between their American stepmother Molly Martens and their paternal aunt Tracy Lynch who were both seeking custody of the children.

Mr Corbett appointed his sister, Tracy, and her husband David Lynch as his children’s legal guardians following the death of their mother Mags Corbett. She died after an asthma attack in 2006.

Ms Martens, his second wife, and her father Thomas Martens, a retired FBI agent, have been named by police as persons of interest in the investigation into the death of Mr Corbett. No formal arrests have been made.

Mourners began gathering at Crosses funeral home on Lower Gerald Griffin Street in Limerick shortly after 5pm on Tuesday evening to sympathise with the Corbett family.

Over 2½ hours later the cortege left the funeral home with large crowds walking the journey to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Janesboro.

Floral tributes reading ‘Daddy’ and ‘Son’ rested against the coffin in the hearse which drove slowly through the centre of the city.

Among the chief mourners were Jason Corbett’s parents John (80) and Rita (74) Corbett, his twin brother Wayne and his other siblings John, Michael, Stephen, Christopher, Tracey and Marilyn.

His children Jack (10) and Sarah (8) were not at the removal home.

The children’s maternal grandparents Marian and Michael Fitzpatrick, parents of Mags Corbett, and her siblings were also present among the chief mourners.

Mr Corbett’s funeral will take place a Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Janesboro at midday on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old will be laid to rest in Castlemungret cemetery alongside Mags Corbett.

A piper is to play at his graveside, where two white doves are to be released into the sky while he is to be laid to rest.

"It's [the doves] to signify that Jason and Mags are finally together, as they always wanted to be," said John Corbett, Jason's oldest brother.

In a message posted on Facebook at the weekend after Jack and Sarah Corbett arrived back to Ireland, their guardian and aunt Tracey Lynch said: “There are no words to adequately express my heartfelt gratitude to all who have given messages of support, love, donations, offers of places to stay and prayers on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Jack and Sarah are happily settled at home with their cousins and family. I am so privileged and honoured to have such amazing people in Limerick who supported me and my family and loved J (Jason) so dearly. I can never repay your kindness,” she wrote.