A young man who died in a double-drowning tragedy off the Co Donegal coast has been remembered for his quiet but sociable presence, smiling face and ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart.
Matt Sibanda, 18, was laid to rest following his funeral mass at St Mary’s Oratory in Buncrana today.
He was due to begin sitting his Leaving Certificate exams in the coming days at Crana College in Buncrana.
It is two weeks to the day since Matt’s friend, Emmanuel Familola, 16, was also laid to rest in the same church after the pair perished in the same tragedy in Lough Swilly.
Both young men were understood to be trying to retrieve a ball from the water while swimming during the recent good spell of weather off Buncrana on May 10th.
Another friend who also got into difficulty managed to swim ashore.
Matt’s body was found hours after he went missing following a huge search by the emergency services and local volunteer vessels.
His friend Emmanuel was plucked from the sea earlier in the day and rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital but tragically passed away a few hours later.
Emmanuel was laid to rest on May 17th.
However, Matt’s funeral was delayed until today to allow family members travel from their native Zimbabwe.
Included among the traveling group was Matt’s beloved grandmother Josephine.
Earlier this week, Matt’s family traveled to the scene of the tragedy to see where their beloved son, brother and grandson died.
A small ritual took place at the pier which was overseen by Matt’s grandmother in her role as head of the family so they could release his soul and allow him to go to heaven.
A large crowd attended today’s funeral to say a final farewell to the young man who had carved out a special place in the heart of the local community despite his short time there.
As well as Matt’s beloved mother Bonnie, his brother Thembalethu and sisters Modest and Sandy, were present to say a final farewell to the young man who have played such a huge part in all their lives.
Before Matt’s mass began, a member of Matt’s family thanked the local community for their support and friendship for the family since Matt’s tragic passing.
Fr Francis Bradley, parish priest, said Matt was undeniably wise and good beyond his years.
He said “From his earliest days in Zimbabwe through to his time here in Buncrana, Matt has always been recognised for his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart.
“In the Old HSE Building which became his home since his arrival here in late 2023, Matt was the eldest child, and with his great gifts and talents, particularly the respect he showed to everyone but most especially to his mother, he became a natural leader – a first among equals.
“He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more.
“His surname, Sibanda, means “Lion”. Our new Pope has taken the name Leo, which also means “Lion”. Pope Leo and Matt Sibanda shared something important in common – their ability to listen to all sides of the debate, never judging, but helping all sides to reach a better solution.
“All of this stemmed from his profound respect for his mother. He always listened to her and he never ever spoke back to her even once throughout his eighteen years. A man of few words, a good and kind boy, a humble kid who would play with the other children, always looking out for his sister Sandy.
“He adored her, and she him. He would watch her when his Mam was working; he taught her to ride a bike; he would play piggy back with her and chase her after school – always kind and happy.
“He had the perfect balance in life, for he loved food, healthy food, and loved exercising, lifting weights; ironically, he was a powerful swimmer.”
Fr Bradley added that while the world is now moving on from the terrible tragedy of May 10th, the local community in Buncrana and Donegal is still coming to terms with it.
He added “While some distance has been drawn now from those terrible moments, the loss of Matt and Emmanuel is still an open wound, a sore blow for all of us, but most especially for his grieving family.
“We are all struggling still to come to terms with the loss, still speechless at the suddenness of it, still heartbroken at the enormity of it. While the world has moved on in some respects, we are nevertheless still numbed by the sadness of what happened.
“For these reasons and more we feel the need to reach out in hope to one another and to God in a search for peace more than answers, and for the healing consolation which can only ever come from the heart of God alone.”
Among those present to support Matt’s family was Commandant Joe Glennon, Aide de Camp to An Taoiseach, representing Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, Kate Gillen of IPAS, CEO of the Donegal Education Training Board Anne McHugh as well as various public representatives.
Many of Matt’s teachers and fellow pupils from Crana College as well as Principal Mr Kevin Cooley were also present.
A huge bloom of white flowers reading Matt’s name lay at the foot of the altar accompanied by a photo montage of Matt and a football made from flowers to reflect Matt’s love of the game.
As well as traditional hymns, songs from Matt’s native Zimbabwe filled St Mary’s Oratory as both communities came together to remember a fine young man taken too soon.
Matt’s heartbroken family led his white coffin out of St Mary’s church to the haunting sounds of ‘Amazing Grace’ before his burial in the nearby Cockhill Cemetery.
Outside, dark clouds hung over Buncrana on the last day of May as a town which has seen more than its fair share of tragedies, closed the page on another sad chapter.
