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Friends and mourners grieve as the coffins are removed following the funeral of Philip and Kim English and their sons Callum (12) and Jayden (9) at the Sacred Heart Church. Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
Waterford City
Waterford comes together for English family, even as questions and fears remain
Philip and Kim English and their sons Callum and Jayden were laid to rest today.
THERE WERE MOMENTS of quiet and reverent silence among mourners at the funeral of four members of the English family in Waterford on Monday, punctuated only by brief instances of the emotion overwhelming those attending the service.
A young woman doubled over in tears before gathering herself and carrying on, while an elderly man was supported by his family as he dealt with the painful reality of the day.
The local community had come together in the Sacred Heart Church and along the roads at The Folly to remember Philip and Kim English and their sons Callum (12) and Jayden (9).
The four had died following the attack in the Birchwood estate last Tuesday. The attack is believed to have been carried out by local drug gangs as an act of intimidation.
Much of Waterford was brought to a standstill on Monday afternoon. Shops throughout the city had closed their doors for chunks of the day out of respect to the Englishes.
People also stood in silence as the four hearses passed the entrance to Birchwood following the funeral on Monday afternoon.
“It’s the shock of it. God love that poor family,” Gina Ridgard told The Journal while standing in the The Hanger clothes shop in the city centre.
“It’s lovely that the town did close down for it, just as a way of trying to acknowledge it.”
Clothing store Guineys had closed entirely. “As a mark of respect to the English family, Guineys Waterford will close at 12 noon on Monday, 19th October,” a notice stuck on the entrance read.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and their loved ones during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding.”
At the Sacred Heart Church, hundreds of mourners filled the church and overflow rooms. A group of young boys formed a yellow wall along one side of the church, wearing the yellow jerseys of Johnville FC, with whom Callum English had won accolades.
Speaking towards the end of the service, Philip’s cousin Ray Power delivered his own message to young people who may be mixed up in local drug scenes.
“I want to just mention to the young people in our city that are here today, and around the country, please walk away from drugs,” Power said.
“Please ask for help when it comes to addiction. Please ask for help if you’re being led down a bad path.
“Please choose a life, choose hope. Please, most certainly, choose a future.”
Ray Power was not only mourning his family but also reflecting on his own personal experience, something he has spoken of publicly in the past, which included time in prison and dealing with addiction.
At the centre of the room was the altar, with pews of mourners encircling parish priest Father Gerard Chestnut and Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan.
They spoke about how a “terrible tragedy” had robbed the English family of their innocent lives, with further warnings about the “web of evil” that is the drug trade.
Outside the church, people who turned up to pay their respects shook their heads at the sight of four coffins being carried away for burial.
“I don’t know what the answer to this is,” one man said.
It summed up the difficulty facing the community as it tries to carry on from the horror of the past week.
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