Conchur Doherty
Conchur Doherty (20), who was a well-known and much-loved young Gaeilgeoir, was seen entering the river last Tuesday.
A search operation by FSR ensued which received a huge response from the public and led to the recovery of Mr Doherty’s body on Sunday.
Gleann Doherty said the kindness, compassion and support of the people of Derry has sustained the family during these most difficult days.
He said: “Conchur was in the water for four and a half days – tough days that made us realise just how powerful the work that Foyle Search and Rescue does really is.
“That organisation is unreal, the work they do is incredible, the things they go through is incredible, it has to be a vocation – and to think they are all volunteers.
“We will never, ever be able to repay them for what they have done for us but we will find a way to show how much we appreciate them.”
Mr Doherty said his son was an unassuming young man who had no idea how popular and loved he was, but he had been struggling with mental health issues in recent months.
He added: “Conchur at home was a great young fella with an incredible sense of humour. He was a hard young fella to keep in – he loved playing Gaelic football and he had a real passion for that.
“Conchur was 20 but he wasn’t that mature and I don’t think he realised how popular he was, in fact I don’t think we knew how popular he was until we saw all the messages we have had over the past week.”
Mr Doherty recalled the grim moment when he realised the search for his son’s remains was over and those helping to look for him could return to their families.
He continued: “We were walking up towards the Peace Bridge when we were approached by a man who had a drone and who told us to contact Foyle Search and Rescue immediately, which I did.
“They told us that they had Conchur and when I heard that, I just smiled because it was that much of a relief and because I knew it meant he wasn’t going to go further down the river where we might have had to wait for weeks to get him back.
“The people of Derry have been just amazing, I don’t know how we would have coped without their kindness, the compassion and support they have given us as a family will never be forgotten.
“A friend of mine, Neil (Ted) Fielding, stepped in right away and he helped organise the searches in conjunction with Foyle Search and Rescue.
“I just don’t know how we can ever thank him and the hundreds of people who came out to search for Conchur.”
Requiem Mass for Conchur will take place in St Columba’s Church, Longtower, today at 11 am.
He will be laid to rest in the City Cemetery.
Because of Coronavirus restrictions, the service is private to family members only.
The Requiem Mass will be live via stream at: http://longtowerchurch.org/webcam/
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