Friends and family pay tribute as Calvin Curley-Gray laid to rest

On Friday morning family and friends of Calvin Curley-Gray gathered for his funeral mass in The Church of The Holy Redeemer in Dundalk.

11 year old Calvin Curley-Gray had died two weeks after suffering serious injuries in a fall at a premises on Clanbrassil Street.

The funeral was told of Calvin’s love of football and Dundalk FC’s Pat Hoban in particular.

In his homily Fr Stephen Wilson described the shock felt by many in the town:

“When Calvin died, darkness descended Dundalk. A darkness that has stunned many people in this community and throughout the whole country.”

He described Calvin as having a “funny, cheeky, and bubbly spirit that disarmed so many, with that trademark smile,” he also spoke of “the wee chats, never passing anyone without acknowledging them, them trying to work out whether it was Calvin or not with the latest hair style.”

“It is almost comforting, that Calvin, the spirit that had so much courage to try new things, to try anything, would run ahead of the rest of us to meet his maker, to meet the God that has called him to himself.

“We, together, have spent time preparing Calvin’s body for his final resting place, we have kept vigil, we have comforted each other, we have walked together to the church, and we will walk to Calvin’s final resting place.

“And this is important, this ritual of walking helps us in our mourning, there is a comfort and a tradition in our journeying to the family home, and from the home to the church, and from the church to the cemetery.

“We walk together because we are unable to be alone.
“We support each other in the sure hope that God is with us, that God is supporting us, and that God is uniting us.

“As a community of believers, we take our cue from the Word made flesh, the Word of God that is with us, the Word that instructs us in our grief, that offers us a word of hope and a taste of the banquet to come. Jesus, the Word incarnate says:

“Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.”

Tributes for Calvin poured in on Monday night as the news broke as Shamrocks FC were Calvin played describing him as “an amazing kid a wonderful player and teammate who had the world at his feet.”

Redeemer Boys School. were Calvin was a 6th class pupil said he was a “a treasured RBS pupil, whose friendly smile endeared him to everyone.

"His presence will be sorely missed by pupils and staff in the days, weeks and months that lie ahead.”