A 19-month-old toddler, who drowned in Spain last Wednesday, brought “endless joy, love and happiness” to his family, mourners have heard.
Requiem mass for Freddie Joseph Briggs took place at St. Agnes’ Church in West Belfast this morning.
The little boy sadly passed away after being pulled from the water in Aigues near Alicante. An air ambulance was called to the scene, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Fr Thomas McGlynn told mourners how Freddie had moved to Spain with his parents Mark and Jane. Born on 10 October 2020, his first “happy and loving home” was in Stewartstown Park in Belfast.
He said the funeral mass would not “dwell on the circumstances” of Freddie’s death, but would concentrate on his “extraordinary and very beautiful young life”.
Fr McGlynn’s homily gave thanks to those who supported the family in Spain last week and acknowledged those who helped “get Freddie's body back home here to Belfast”.
The parish priest paid tribute to Freddie’s parents, his brother Michael, as well as his wider family circle and friends.
Fr McGlynn thanked the staff of Glen Parent Day Care, which Freddie formerly attended, for providing a “beautiful” guard of honour ahead of Requiem Mass.
He spoke of Freddie’s “affinity with animals” and described how his “first Teddy Bear” was placed beside his picture at the front of the church.
Mourners heard of Freddie’s part in “changing and enriching the lives of so many people”.
His parents “cherished" him every day and he brought “endless joy, love and happiness” during his short life, Fr McGlynn said.
He said that love was evident when they brought Freddie to be baptised at St Agnes’ “just two days after Christmas in 2020”.
“I had the great privilege and honour of baptising him that day,” he added.
“What a beautiful little perfect baby he was that day and always will be and remain.”
He described how Freddie “loved, he laughed, and he enjoyed life to the very, very full.”
“The first reason he did all of those things was because Freddie himself knew that he was loved and cherished himself and blessed to have such adoring and caring parents and a big brother,” Fr McGlynn said.
Having moved to the warmer climes of Spain, Freddie had “instantaneously stood out” with his “beautiful big head of blonde hair, and his beautiful blue eyes”.
“He was the object of both interest, and also of admiration,” Fr McGlynn recounted.
He spoke of Freddie’s ability to “engage and to connect with other people” and to “charm them with all his wonderful natural human qualities”.
Freddie had a “love of nature” and “love of life”, and was described as “perceptive, emotionally sensitive”, as well as “analytical”.
He had “a natural interest in people and things and all the natural world around him,” Fr McGlynn said.
“It was those beautiful human qualities with which he was blessed that made him a child that was so engaging, and also clearly so adaptable, moving at a very young age from one home and Belfast, to a different town, a different climate and a very different situation in Alicante, where he quickly became a very much known, loved, addition to the local community.”
“In the 20 short months of his life, Freddie touched a lot of lives, and a lot of hearts and leaves behind so many warm, loving, happy memories,” he continued.
“And it is all of those things that we very much want to cherish and indeed celebrate here today.”
Following Requiem Mass, Freddie was laid to rest at Milltown Cemetery.
