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Declan Donnelly paid tribute to his brother, Father Dermott, as he rested in Newcastle today.
Father Dermott passed away on July 8, 2022, at the age of 55, following a serious illness. He had celebrated 30 years of service in his parish and network after being ordained a priest on June 27, 1992.
At a moving Requiem Mass celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle, Dec struggled to hold back tears as he bid farewell to his brother with an affectionate tribute. He described Father Dermott as “very calm, very sensitive and very protective of all of us” and said we will miss him “immeasurably. “
Read more: Respects to Father Dermott Donnelly at Newcastle funeral
The 46-year-old TV presenter thanked others for their thoughts, prayers and wishes on behalf of the Donnelly family, before reflecting on his formative years at Cruddas Park in Newcastle’s West End.
Dec remembered how his brother comforted him when he worried about monsters in bed or vampires in the closet.
He said: “We grew up a stone’s throw from here, on the way to St. Michael’s Parrish in Cruddas Park, where we shared a 3 bedroom house. Four children in one room, 3 women in the other, and mom and dad in the other. “smaller room in the middle of the two of us to prevent us from fighting.
“Dermott and I, being the youngest children, were assigned to the lower bunks and events when the eye of my five- or six-year-old hyperactive mind created monsters under the bed or vampires in the closet, ran out of bed and jumped into Dermott’s. He put a bunk bed and reassured me in the middle of the night with stories he made up as Mousey Brown, the uncelerate mouse detective.
“He is very calm, very delicate and very protective of all of us. “
Dec added: “It’s not unusual to see him wandering around the space at night in his underwear, turning off all the plugs before going to bed. Don’t just turn them off, but put your hand on them for 10 seconds. to make sure there were no sparks and no fire. “
Father Dermott and Dec were two of the seven children of parents Anne and Alphonsus Donnelly. Dec recalled how Father Dermott’s preference to be a priest came as a wonder for the family, but a lot for Anne.
He added: “She remembers when she was much younger when many other young people were playing doctors and nurses or soldiers, Dermott was looking to play en masse. “
Dec then passed on memories of the summer school holiday when the circle of relatives went to Upholland College, Skelmersdale, near Liverpool, where Father Dermott studied for a priest. pass and a large bottle of soft drink diluted in the Opel Kadett. “
Dec, who helped send Father Dermott’s coffin to the cathedral, also spoke proudly of his brother’s service to his religion and his determination to motivate the lives of other young people by creating the Youth Ministry Team (YMT) and Youth Village in Consett, an outreach program aimed at introducing underprivileged youth to the Catholic Church.
Dec said: “Dermott had big dreams, he dreamed of building a position where young people could come and feel valued and he liked George Bernard Shaw’s quote, the one that says ‘You see things and you say why, but I see things that never existed and I say why not. ‘”
Struggling to hold back tears, Dec concluded his speech by saying how much he will miss his brother.
He said: “Unfortunately, today our global is a bit worse because Dermott is no longer with us. He still had so much more than he was looking to do, so many more lives he needed to influence, motivate and replace and we can’t leave him.
“We still don’t perceive why he left. But we are convinced that God took him because his talents were needed elsewhere.
“We as a family, and many, many others will miss him immensely. Rest in peace Derm. “
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