More than two dozen people gathered at a funeral home in north Belfast to remember Daniel Martin Quinn, a man with a mystery past whose family could not be found.
Those at the service for the 61-year-old, at Brown’s on the Oldpark Road and led by Sr Nuala Kelly, remembered a gentle soul and gentleman who spoke sparingly, but when he did people listened.
He was deeply knowledgeable and immersed himself in the goings on in Belfast and current affairs, including reading The Irish News every day.
The gathering took place more than three weeks after the man everyone knew as Martin was found dead at his flat in the Carrick Hill area of the city.
Those who crossed his path over the years decided to club together to deliver a proper funeral and send-off.
They included the People’s Kitchen, Carrick Hill Community, the Ardoyne Association and Team Haven, the homeless support group.
His friend Tim remembered two stand out characteristics, that he was “remarkably well informed” and, to laughter, that “his diet seemed to consist largely of the Indian spice, turmeric”.
Helen O’Brien, of the People’s Kitchen on the Antrim Road, which provides food and refuge to the city’s homeless and vulnerable, said: “I saw him a lot (he) came over on most every morning.”
She added: “He was the most polite, grateful, kind person that I have ever given a breakfast to. Everything was beautiful and thank you so much and you don’t need to go that trouble. He was just an absolute gentleman.”
Councillor Paul McCusker, who is one of the kitchen’s founders, remembered Martin’s daily entrance. “God bless all here,” he would declare.
It was about 20 years ago Carrick Hill community worker Frank ‘Dipper’ Dempsey first met Martin.
He had moved to Carrick House after the old Legion of Mary hostel on Divis Street burned down. There was a gang of four who hung out together.
They started coming over to the local community centre, on Tuesday’s, religiously, said Frank.
Then Carrick House closed, the gang of four split and Martin faced an uncertain future, possibly hopping between the increasingly fewer places for the homeless to lay with a roof over their head in the city.
Instead, local lobbying managed to secure him a place, a home for his last years in John Blacking House off Carrick Hill.
It is his earlier years that remain something of a mystery. He may have had connections to Co Cork and the Isle of Man. His accent sounded like a mix, southern but also some English.
Martin’s neighbour Bobby said the police came to the flat four or five months ago on a welfare check, apparently after a call from a sister in Kent.
For three weeks after his death, Martin’s body lay in the mortuary as police tried to trace members of his family. The coroner’s office last week said none could be found.
A man apparently with no family who found one, said Sr Nuala. They gathered on Wednesday to say goodbye.
