Ireland

‘Bubbly’ Molly Dempsey (15) remembered at funeral Mass after death in Wicklow car crash

Baltinglass girl’s singing voice, sense of fun and love of animals would have seen her grow to become a ‘wonderful person’, mourners told

Molly Dempsey, from Whitehall Park, Baltinglass, was pronounced dead at the scene of a single-vehicle crash at 5am on Sunday last at Slaney Park, close to the town.

Sarah Slater
Fri May 10 2024 - 13:44

A 15-year-old girl who died in a road crash will always be remembered due to her “bubbly personality” and smiles, mourners at her funeral heard.

Molly Dempsey, from Whitehall Park, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, was pronounced dead at the scene of a single-vehicle crash at 5am on Sunday last at Slaney Park, close to the town.

Students and friends from her secondary school, Scoil Chonglais, provided a guard of honour, with many wearing pink and white T-shirts in her memory on a sunny morning that contrasted with the sombre mood of the day.

Mourners began to gather from 10.30am at St Joseph’s Church in Baltinglass for the teenager’s funeral.

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A pink coffin bearing the name “Moll” was carried into the church by pallbearers also wearing themed T-shirts. A floral wreath consisting of white and pink lilies and roses and a smiling photograph of the girl adorned the coffin once in the church.

The Dempsey family has suffered two previous bereavements, as two of her brothers died in separate incidents. A 13-year-old, Roy, died tragically, while Kilian, aged 18, died in Dublin. Molly has therefore become the third of nine Dempsey siblings to have lost their lives.

Parish priest Gerard Ahern, who concelebrated the Mass, explained the meaning of three objects brought to the altar to represent her life. A photograph of her with her family showed her love for them. Her favourite book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horses, by Charlie Mackesy, symbolised her liking to read for herself and to her nieces and nephews. The third item, a loudspeaker, showed her passion for her favourite music, played loudly at times, as many of her neighbours would know.

Fr Ahern said: “Molly has died with a life ahead of her, and we’ll never know now what that life would have been like. Sadly that will not happen now, but her bubbly personality, her singing voice, her love of animals, her sense of fun would have seen her grow into a wonderful person.

“Molly was baptised in this church, and on August 21st, 2021, I confirmed her here, and the one thing I remember, she had taken the name of a male saint as her Confirmation name – that was more the exception than the norm. The name was Kilian, and she told me the reason for taking that name – it was the name of her brother who died – and I certainly thought it was most appropriate. His death had a profound effect on her and it was a beautiful tribute to a brother she loved deeply. When something like this happens we ask God why this happens, and it’s not easy holding on to faith.”

Mourners listened as Fr Ahern explained that while they were gathered in the church on a very sad occasion, they were also there to celebrate and give thanks to God for the life of Molly.

“A life of only 15 years, and really we shouldn’t be here this morning, and we can all sense that. We sense the sadness, we sense the despair, the sense of feeling of loss at this untimely death of Molly. We are very conscious of each other, her family, her parents Nigel and Mary and her siblings Laura, Charlie, Joe, Yvonne, Jake and Ella, grandmothers May and Dolly, and extended family,” he noted.

“We are here to offer you the support of our presence and the support of our prayers, because often at a time like this there is nothing else we can say or do. Just to realise that everyone shares your pain and wants to be there to support you, whatever way they can, and although Molly’s life was a life of 15 years, there was a lot that she achieved in that life and there are a lot of memories that she has left – and those are memories that you will hold on to for a long time.”

Molly’s close friend McKenzie told those gathered of Molly’s love of horses, donkeys and dogs, and her joy in dancing and loud music, as mourners’ tears flowed openly.

Three relations gave reflections of how much Molly meant to them all. The girl’s remains were interred in Baltinglass cemetery following the funeral Mass.

The driver of a car, a teenage boy who was not injured in the incident, was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Road Traffic Act and was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, but later released.

Gardaí said investigations were ongoing, and a file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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