Young Finglas man Craig Giffford was described as a "Del-Boy" with a "soft heart" at his funeral mass this morning.
Friends and family gathered at Saint Canice’s Church to celebrate the 21-year-old's short life.
The importance of friendship and community was highlighted at the 11:30am Mass with Craig's kind nature and poor cooking skills remembered.
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Craig's family stressed that he was a real "chatterbox" who valued his family and friends above all else, always making time to ring his mam daily.
He had been missing from his home in Finglas since the afternoon of April 20 with family and gardai "concerned for his wellbeing".
A missing person search was launched by officers and a body was later recovered in the River Road area of Ashtown on Saturday afternoon.
His death was referred to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) as he had an interaction with gardai shortly before his disappearance.
Craig's brother Warren thanked the people of Finglas for supporting his family during a time of unimaginable suffering.
He reflected on the last time he saw his little brother and said he would cherish it forever.
Warren said: "He was a wonderful person, full of life. He had a soft heart and a lovely loud personality that was always looking to wind you up and make you laugh or at times run out of the room to get a moment of peace.
"He never came up for air. He made an impression on everyone he met, fancied himself as a bit of a Del-Boy. He knew everyone and could talk the teeth off a saw.
"'From the moment he was born, he was extremely good-looking. No matter where he went he grabbed people's attention particularly the women.
"He really did have a soft heart and a cheeky smile. He was like a lightning bold. He lit up a room. He would bounce down the stairs and upend the kitchen making a cup of tea. There would be sugar everywhere, a battered tea bag on the counter and he'd never put the milk back.
"He was a fantastic cook. There wasn't a chicken goujon, frozen pizza or a bag of wedges he couldn't heat up in the oven. Then he learned how to cook steak and pepper sauce and you knew when that was done because the smoke alarm went off and the back door had to be opened.
"He adored my ma and never went a day without calling her. The two of them were extremely close.
"My last memory of Craig will be one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We had a session full of life, music and laughter. I gave him a hug and I told him goodnight and that was the last time we saw each other.
"I couldn't have asked for a happier memory.
"At times it feels like this area can grind you down, make you feel hopeless or alone in your troubles. Yet, the outpouring of love, friendship and compassion that springs to life in our moments of grief serves as a reminder and a celebration to the outstanding nature of the people of Finglas. We will never be able to thank you enough for your strength in our moment of weakness, your kindness in our time of despair."
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