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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Holly Lennon

Kirkintilloch man killed in Creeslough explosion honoured as 'dedicated carer and avid Celtic fan'

A man from Kirkintilloch killed in the Creeslough explosion has been described as "full of love, kindness, and compassion".

Martin McGill died at the service station in County Donegal where he would regularly be 'doing messages for other people', sometimes up to five times a day.

The 49-year-old moved to Creeslough to care for his parents and was described as a familiar sight in the village usually wearing his Celtic top and carrying a bottle of Lucozade.

READ MORE: Celtic to hold 'period of silence' for Irish explosion victims before kick-off at tonight's game

Martin was laid to rest on Tuesday at St Michael's Church in the Co Donegal village. Father John Joe Duffy offered sympathy to Mr McGill's mother Mary and to his sisters Marie Louise and Caroline.

Father Duffy told mourners how Mr McGill was dedicated to caring for his beloved mother.

"Martin was a carer who was full of love, full of kindness and full of compassion," he said.

"Despite the awful, horrible tragedy that has struck at the very heart of this community, and broken our hearts, from the very first moment aren't those the keywords that have been in action in this community but have always been in action in this community."

Fr Duffy said Mr McGill had now been reunited with his recently deceased father Joseph.

"His strength was in that he was a caring person," he added.

"And the fact that he was a caring person, a person of kindness and compassion, gave him strength when he had to face bereavement and not very long ago when he had to say goodbye to his dad which was most difficult for him."

The cleric said Mr McGill was "a gentle soul, a kind person".

He added: "A person where you could see the goodness flowing out from him. It was effervescent. It was like when you tighten a bottle and you give it a shake as a child and make it go all over the place when you open it up.

"He was just so caring. The caring flowed out from him. Each Sunday he would be in this church, he would be down there lighting candles. I think he lit more candles than I ever lit anyway in my life. I don't think anyone could break that record."

Mr McGill was originally from Kirkintilloch near Glasgow.

Fr Duffy said it would have meant a lot to him that the Old Firm club had made a donation to a support fund for the Creeslough victims and that its players will wear black armbands at their next match as a mark of respect.

He said Mr McGill was a familiar sight in Creeslough wearing his Celtic top and carrying a bottle of Lucozade.

He said he was routinely in the shop where he ultimately died, doing messages for other people.

"It was I suppose against the odds that Martin would not have been in the shop, for he went to the shop five times a day or more to bring those errands out for people," he said.

"He was someone who just loved life and loved the simple things of life."

At the end of the service, Fr Duffy said he had been asked by the family to thank all who had offered support in recent days.

Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian then led the congregation in prayer before mourners sang along to the song You'll Never Walk Alone.

Mr McGill's remains were then taken for burial at Doe Cemetery.

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