This article is from page 4 of the 2011-04-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE voice of Robbie Williams filled the packed halls of St John the Baptist Church in Ballyvaughan last Tuesday morning as the family and friends of Deirdre McCarthy said goodbye to their very own angel.
Deirdre made her short final journey from the small local church that she knew so well to the windswept graveyard at nearby Bishop’s Quarter Cemetery following what was one of the largest and most emotionally draining funerals in recent memory.
Clearly still in a state of shock, the family of the 43-year-old were comforted by the hundreds of friends, locals and well-wishers who packed into the small church. So great was the number that people had no choice but to stand close to the alter in all three isles of the church, while outside special speakers were set up so that those who could not gain access could still take part in the ceremony.
A number of family members, including Deirdre’s younger sister Helen, took part in an emotional service which was led by local priest Fr Richard Flanagan.
Music was also a large part of the Mass, as it had been in Deirdre’s life, with a lone female singer leading the hymns.
Following the service, Deirdre was carried from the church by her brother Tom and her brothers in law to the sounds of her favourite song, ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams.
The wind began to rise as the funeral procession made its way along the coast road from Ballyvaughan to the McCarthy family plot in Bishop’s Quarter.
There were tears at the graveside as Fr Flanagan led the large crowd in a decade of the Rosary before saying a last few words over Deirdre’s final resting place.
Light spatters of rain began to fall, obscuring the tears that so many shed on the long journey home from Bishop’s Quarter.
Deirdre McCarthy is survived by her mother Helen, brother Tom and sisters Helen, Christina, Bernie and Ann, as well as a large extended family in the North Clare area.