The family of boxer John Cooney, who died following a title fight in Belfast, have described him as their “champion”, who was full of energy, laughter and love.
The 28-year-old from Galway, died a week after suffering an injury in the clash in defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title in the city.
His death was announced in a statement published by his promoter, Mark Dunlop, on behalf of the Cooney family and his fiancee, Emmaleen.
He had been treated at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital for an intracranial haemorrhage, also known as a bleed on the brain, following his defeat to Welshman Nathan Howells at the Ulster Hall on February 1.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral mass in Galway, including John’s parents, Hughie and Tina, Emmaleen and his brothers Conor and Aaron, at the Church of St John the Apostle in Knocknacarra.
An Irish tricolour was draped over the coffin along with a picture of the boxer, while floral tributes were left around the altar.
Rev Tadhg Quinn told mourners that the family donated some of John’s organs to five different people, and in doing so, gave them “a greater chance of living”.
Speaking on behalf of his parents, Hughie and Tina, his aunt Georgina Ivors said: “We loved every minute of raising you to be the most amazing man that you became.
John Cooney developed a bleed on the brain after a title fight (Brian Lawless/PA)
“Son, you went on to achieve more than we could have ever dreamed of, and we couldn’t be prouder, but the greatest achievement of all was meeting your soul mate, Emmaleen.
“There couldn’t have been a more perfect match for you and our family. She will always be a part of our family, and we will continue to love and support her.
“We take great comfort that you went on to save many lives, and in your memory, we will be an advocate for organ donation.
“As a family, we are truly touched by the kindness and compassion that was shown to us from people all over.
“As a family, we will miss you, but we will keep your spirit alive and your stories told. Our lives will never be the same without you, John, we will always love you and forever be very proud.”
Emmaleen sang Sarah McLachlan’s In The Arms Of An Angel.
Speaking after, Father Quinn said John would have been so proud of her.
“To lay to rest the soul mate that you loved and put so much work into for the past five years, to lay to rest on Valentine’s Day makes it so hard,” he added.
John Cooney, in the gold boots, in action in an earlier fight (Liam McBurney/PA)
John’s uncle, Tom, told mourners that his funeral mass is a celebration of his life.
“Today is not a day of mourning, but a day of celebration,” he said.
“It’s not a day of regret, but truly a day of rejoicing. Our John, our kid Cooney, our fully grown man, our champion.
“He may have just lived for 28 years, but I tell you, John has lived three lives in those 28 years. So if you put three lives together, that’s almost 90 years of age that John lived. I’m saying that because of what John has accomplished, John has accomplished more than most of us would in 100 years.
“John has been so diligent, so committed, so determined. John just didn’t want to be a boxer. John wanted to be a champion, and today, John is a champion.
“I don’t believe that John is gone. I believe that John is just beginning to live. I really do believe that with all my heart.
“John lives forever, a young man whose heart is as big as his dreams. His life was full of energy, laughter and love. Our John, our champion, was someone who lived with an intensity that few could match.”
Friends and family brought symbols of the young boxer’s life to the altar, including boxing gloves, running shoes, a family photograph, his watch, his favourite sweets, his barber scissors and a mirror.
Father Quinn said the young boxer was surrounded by love and brought joy to many people’s lives.
“He has a lot of connections and a lot of friends. As we gather here, I was reflecting on his life the other evening, and I said, what am I going to say about this young man who had such talent?” he added.
“I suppose, if you think about it, born in London, of Irish parents, grew up in Dorset and came back to Ireland in 2015 and was very much involved in the boxing and then he went on to do so well in boxing.
“He just didn’t box, but he also was, I suppose you would say, a man who cut hair and over the past two years, he had a hairdressing salon, and a flood wiped him out.
“He came into town and continued to cut hair in town. You think about all the people who must have sat in his chair, all the people who shared his life, all the people who listened to his love for boxing and what he was going to achieve.
“Just think about the sports that he brought into people’s lives and the love of that sport. We’re here today, broken hearted, sport was his life, but there are many other things in his life too, his mum and dad, his brothers, his fiancee.
“But there were many more things his life, too. He was looking forward to settling down to have a family, because he was in love with his soulmate.
“He wanted a life with her. A man who was positive about everything, a man who smiled and he touched your heart, a man who worked three days a week over the past two years so cutting hair and trained four days a week.
“There are five people today with a greater chance of living because John’s family gave parts of his body to others.
“So John will live on in other people. I’d like to thank the family for that, for giving that commitment of caring.”