Jim Quinn remembered at his funeral as a 'one of the greats' who 'had a heart of gold'

Saint Mary’s Church in Cockhill was packed to overflowing for the Requiem Mass of Michael Jim Quinn, known as Jim, who passed away suddenly on Friday.

He had been involved in a road traffic collision in Tooban.

In a reflection at the beginning of Mass, a beautiful poem read by Alannah told how Jim was a ‘big family man,’ who loved tea, biscuits and sweets and who was a friend to all.

He was also a proud Sinn Fein supporter – Donegal Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn was among mourners at the funeral – and a man of many talents, who was known far and wide for his fortune telling and his kindness.

Jim was also a counsellor, whose ‘door was always open’, said Alannah.

Alannah’s reflection added: "You were never turned away, a heart of gold and always up for the craic, any time of day.”

Alannah told how Jim was ‘one of the greats’ and that his family and friends were ‘truly blessed to have known the great and mighty Jim Quinn’.

Buncrana Parish Priest Father Francis Bradley told mourners how he thought noone else in Buncrana ‘had the wide circle of friends Jim Quinn could count on’.

“He was a magnet, drawing people to him and on beyond him to something greater still.”

Jim, he added, was ‘kind and generous to others’ and any ‘number of lessons’ could be learned from his life.

Mourners heard how Jim was ‘loyal to many causes throughout his life’ and ‘was a character, from whatever side you viewed him’.

"But, we must never forget too that there were at least two sides to him – a funny man, an exhibitionist,, but also a seriously minded individual who was a great listener, who counselled many and gave himself completely to the service of others’.

Jim also, said Fr Bradley, possessed a ‘deep Christian faith’ and was a devotee of St Padre Pio, who ‘did his best to bring a sense of God and goodness to others’.

An ‘innocent at heart’ he was the ‘inspiration’ behind Buncrana Celtic football team.

‘Nothing would prove impossible’ to Jim and Father Bradley told an anecdote of how, when refereeing a match, Jim lost his watch.

"So the match went on and on and in fact, went on until the team he favoured scored an equalising goal and the whistle was then blown’.

Father Bradley told too how Jim was very ill when he was just 11 years old and underwent extensive abdominal surgery.

He was ‘saved only by his father offering to the surgeon that he’d give him a direct blood transfusion’.

"That us what saved his life and it was a life worth saving’.

Laughter was heard around the church as Fr Bradley told how Jim would show his wounds to people and claimed he had been involved in a ‘shoot out’ at the ‘old bridge in Derry’ or that he’d ‘been badly injured in the Korean war – he had a lively imagination!”

Jim, who was in his 60s, was also remembered as a ‘born entertainer,’ who could ‘talk anyone around to anything’ and was a good ‘yarn spinner,’.

Father Bradley added how ‘so many people in many organisations’ will miss Jim.

He was ‘totally committed to charities and collected far and near’ and was also a committed Irish Republican.

His commitment and generosity, said Fr Bradley, was optimised in that, ‘not terribly long’ after coming out of surgery as a child, he threw himself down in front of a runaway tractor and stopped it, saving the life of a child who was his cousin.

Jim, he added, was visited by many in search of the ‘home spun wisdom he had in spades’.

He had ‘accompanied many in their struggles between life and death and others were to minister to him in those moments in Tooban last Friday’ said Fr Bradley.

Fr Bradley also paid tribute to ‘those who tried their best to help’ Jim on Friday last’.

He also read the words of St Colmcille on his reflections on life and death’ and Father Bradley also issued his sympathies and that of the community to Pauline and her family, Jim’s brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and wide circle of extended family and friends.

Fr Bradley told them that Jim would never be forgotten as he was ‘too great a character for that to happen’.

Fr Bradley also told mourners how Jim’s family want to encourage all those who depended on him ‘for so many things and most especially, the voice at the end of the phone, or a friendly face, whose company to sit and sort out the tales and wiles of the world, all those who depended on him for encouragement and listening, that you would reach out to someone else now.

He told them: "Don’t forget Jim and ask for his help. We hope and believe in the Communion of Saints and that those who have died go no further from us than God and God is very near. So, we hope he will still be able to offer help from where he has gone. But, reach out to someone, too, who is closed at hand and know you are not alone in anything you do.”