The family of this tourist killed with his pal in a smash on Ireland’s busiest motorway have broken their silence – to thank gardai and bikers for their help and kindness.
“I would just like to get across how amazing the Irish police and the biking community have been,” the daughter of Brian McFarlane told The Mirror last night – as dozens of motorcyclists came from all over Ireland to attend his cremation service in Dublin.
The service for Mr McFarlane, who was 63 and from the Oxfordshire village of Sutton Courtenay, came almost seven weeks after he and pal Paul Ingram, 59, were killed in a horror crash on the M50.
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Both men were on a motorcycle holiday around Ireland and were killed outright when they were struck by a lorry on the Dublin orbital motorway on Friday, June 3.
They were on Harley Davidson motorbikes when they accidentally collided with each other – and fell onto the carriageway.
Then, as they sprawled helpless on the road, a truck that was travelling behind the pair had no chance to avoid the friends and slammed into them.
The pals suffered horrendous injuries and were killed instantly. It’s thought they were so badly injured from the crash that gardai had to use DNA technology to formally identify them.
The Irish biker community was so moved by the men’s death that they organised rallies in their honour.
They provided an escort for the remains of Mr Ingram as his coffin was repatriated to his family in Nottinghamshire on Tuesday – and yesterday they mounted a guard of honour for a cremation service for Mr McFarlane in Dublin.
Mr McFarlane’s daughter Emma, along with her brothers Robert and Ryan, her partner Jon and son Ben,10, all attended the cremation service at Dardistown cemetery in north Dublin.
And, speaking to The Mirror after the service, Ms McFarlane paid tribute to the bikers and gardai who had helped the family.
She told us: “I would just like to get across how amazing the Irish police and the biking community have been.
“Myself, my two brothers Robert and Ryan McFarlane, my partner Jon and son Ben aged 10 were in attendance and we have been so moved by the kindness shown by the Irish people.
“They are all a true credit to their country.
“We were devastated by the loss of our dad but would like to say how amazing and supportive the Irish police have been, we would have been so lost without them.
“The turnout today of all the bikers today was amazing.
“My family will never forget the kindness we have been shown by the Irish people. Thank you.”
Ms McFarlane also revealed that her father and Mr Ingram had been friends for years – after meeting on a previous holiday.
“They met three years ago on a world cruise and became close friends,” she said.
And she also provided The Mirror with this photograph of her father – taken on his holiday in Ireland shortly before his death.
She said: “This is him during his trip around Ireland.
“He sent me this a few days before he passed - he had a wonderful time.
“He loved Ireland.
“He was having a fantastic trip and was on his way back to the ferry to travel home on the Monday.”
The tar revealed last month that the family of Mr Ingram, who was a widower, saw sick videos of the aftermath of the crash – and didn’t realise he was one of the victims, it emerged last night.
A relative of Paul Ingram confirmed to The Mirror that the family circle of the Englishman only learned of his death in the crash after gruesome videos of the horror incident spread on social media.
“I sadly saw the videos before I realised it was uncle Paul,” the relative told The Mirror.
The traumatised woman said she and other family members were horrified to learn of his death in the crash – and that ghouls were sharing distressing videos of the incident online.
She told The Mirror: “I saw the videos and pictures and I was sickened.”
And she added that she had been horrified after videos of the aftermath of the crash that killed both men – only to be told afterwards he was one of the victims.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I was sickened and sad and prayed for the poor families that this happened to, then I realised on Saturday morning that it was my family.”
Gardai are still investigating the incident, which caused massive tailbacks on the busy motorway for several hours on the day of the horror
But sources have told The Mirror that gardai believe it was simply a freak accident.
But sources stressed that neither the victims nor the driver of the lorry involved in the smash were suspected of any wrongdoing.
“It was just a horrible accident,” one source said.
“The two men on the motorbikes were on holiday from England. It looks like they were riding along and they bumped into each other.
“It was an accident and there is no suggestion that they were speeding.
“But when two motorcyclists even tip off each other at 100kph, the results are devastating
“They both fell off their bikes onto the carriageway and were hit by a truck.
“The driver could do nothing to avoid them. It is a terrible tragedy.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Lucan Garda Station on 01 6667300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
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