County Tyrone crash: Nathan Corrigan's life was 'cut short', says priest

Nathan Corrigan's funeral was held at St Matthew's Church

The funeral of Nathan Corrigan, one of three young men killed in a road crash, has been held in County Tyrone.

Mr Corrigan died on 27 December after a collision between a car and a lorry on the A5 Omagh road.

The other men who died, Peter Finnegan and Peter McNamee, were buried on New Year's Day. They were all in their 20s.

A fourth man, also in his 20s, was taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries.

Mr Corrigan's funeral was held at St Matthew's Church in Garvaghy, close to the scene of the crash.

Flowers left by family and friends remained on the roadside, as crowds lined the route from the home of Mr Corrigan to the church on Sunday.

• Three men die after car and lorry crash

The resilience of the families was praised by parish priest Fr Michael O'Dwyer, who also spoke directly to the bereaved friends of the young men.

"Nathan's life could mirror many young men of his age - a life full of possibility, of hopes and dreams for the future, for all his tomorrows. But tomorrow never came.

"His life was cut short in the early hours on Monday morning," said the priest.

Fr O'Dwyer also called on the authorities to prioritise the long-awaited upgrade of the A5 road in the wake of the crash.

"The deaths of Nathan and Peter Finnegan and Petey McNamee have highlighted again the danger that the present A5 road poses and the need for an upgrade," he told the congregation.

"This community and this church has witnessed too many deaths and accidents and borne the cost at a great price, and that is just one section of the road."

He said the upgrade of the A5 was a "pro-life issue".

Mourners at Mr McNamee's funeral on Saturday, heard how the tragedy has cast a dark cloud over Tyrone and has left people shocked and bewildered.

Mourners lined the route of Mr Corrigan's funeral

Mourners at the funeral of Peter Finnegan at St Patrick's Church in Clogher were told there was a "deep void" in the lives of his parents following the crash.

"The experience of death is always disturbing. But the death of a young person, in the prime of life, is overwhelming in its effects," Fr Noel McGahan said.

GAA clubs in County Tyrone also offered their condolences to family and friends affected by the accident.

The crash happened close to a crossroads

The collision happened close to Tyrone's GAA training ground.

Goalkeeper Niall Morgan said it was a "sobering moment" when the players were re-routed on their way to the complex after the collision.