THE REMAINS OF the Irish man killed in a plane crash in Ethiopia last March have been laid to rest in a private burial in Co Clare.
Michéal (Mick) Ryan, originally from Attychristoria, Lahinch, Co Clare, died along with 156 others when Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-302 crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa airport on 10 March last.
Ryan, a father-or-two who lived previously in Cork and Rome, was Deputy Chief Engineer with The United Nations World Food Programme. He died just two weeks before his 40th birthday.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sean O’Rourke last month, Ryan’s mother Christine described visiting the crash site in Ethiopia.
“I felt I had to go, I felt his spirit was still there,” she said. “I went out there and I spoke to him and said what I wanted to say to him.”
On the same programme, his wife Naoise Ryan said that Mick is their strength and credited her daughter for guiding her through the last few difficult months.
The Ennistymon Parish Facebook page confirmed in recent days: “Following DNA testing, Mick’s identification has provided his family with remains to be laid to rest in Ennistymon New Cemetery.”
A casket carrying Ryan’s remains arrived into Dublin Airport this morning before the funeral cortege departed for Co Clare.
The cortege was then met in Ennis by two Garda motorcycle outriders before continuing to Lahinch where it arrived just after 5.00pm.
Ryan’s casket was draped in the United Nations flag while the hearse also flew wing-mounted Irish tricolour and UN flags.
Around 100 locals as well as staff and students from Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon provided a guard of honour and held candles at Lahinch Church as the funeral cortege passed.
Ryan’s mother Christine, a retired teacher, taught at Scoil Mhuire in nearby Ennistymon.
The hearse then proceeded along School Road past Ryan’s family home before continuing onto Ennistymon cemetery for a private burial. He was buried with his father Jack who passed away almost six years ago.
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