James’s gift of life in death
EVEN in death, James “Duff” Tynan continued to give as he had during the 25 years he spent on this earth - Brightening the lives of every person with whom he came into contact.
and so it was on Monday night, a number of ambulances waited at the emergency entrance South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel to transport his heart, lungs and other organs to terminally ill people waiting on a miracle and a transplant. His parents Delores and Pascal, his sisters Elizabeth, Jacqueline, Nuala, Kay and brother Neil and his girlfriend Fiona Morrissey aswell as nephews, nieces, and cousiibs were present for the final blessing before the life support machine was switched off and his organs harvested for the benefit of others that he did not even know. Ther sirens lit u in the ambulances and the body parts were transported to Dublin and overseas.
Only last Friday, the kind 25-year-old had told his heartbroken girlfriend and best friend Fiona, that he wanted his organs donated if the unthinkable happened. This was prompted by the untimely death of a young Gortnahoe man last week, Stephen Barnaville who had cystic fibrosis.
James died after falling and hitting his head off the pavement in a totally unprovoked assault in the centre of Thurles at around 1.30am on Sunday morning.
There has been an unprecedented outpouring of grief for the Tynan family since the tragic events of early on Sunday morning. Blessed with an outgoing and warm personality like his father, he loved to sing and was extremely popular with people of his own age and with everyone in the North Kilkenny area. Blessed with a placid personality he has left his loved ones with precious memories.
His nickname of Duff came because he followed Chelsea Soccer club in England and at one point, the Irish Republic international, Damien Duff played for them. James’s friends thought he looked like Damien Duff so they called him Duff. The sobriquet stuck and James didn’t mind at all.
And while it was harrowing for his family to watch as the life support machine, aiding his breathing, was turned off, they had some little comfort knowing that James, as he had requested, had given the gift of life to others and provided them with a second chance.
James worked with his father Pascal and brother Neil in the family business Tynan Meats and he will be remembered there for his kindness and good humour by his fellow workers.
A post mortem was carried out on his body yesterday (Tuesday) in association with the garda enquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The funeral arrangements will be announced once James’s body is returned to the family following the autopsy carried out by a member of the State Pathologist’s office who came from Dublin to carry out the examination.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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