Eve McCarthy, the 21-year-old UCD student killed in a climbing accident in Spain earlier this month, was a ray of sunshine in the lives of all she touched, her funeral Mass has been told.
Friends and neighbours of Ms McCarthy, who was a final-year student in UCD, lined the streets and churchyard of St Anne’s Church in Shankill, Co Dublin, as the funeral cortege arrived, along with colleagues from the Kings Inn in Dalkey where she worked and former classmates at Loreto Abbey Dalkey.
Chief celebrant at the requiem Mass, Fr Michael O’Sullivan, parish priest of St Anne’s, welcomed the capacity congregation, including those watching on a relay in the parish centre nearby and those watching online.
He said the large turnout was a reflection of the popularity of “a gorgeous young woman, a ray of sunshine in our lives”, and showed “how many lives she touched in this one short life that she had”.
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Symbols of Ms McCarthy’s life, including a globe and hiking shoes, which represented her love of travel and sport, were brought to the altar. Further symbols included her science book, reflecting her quest for knowledge; her mobile phone representing her social life; and a scarf representing her sense of style.
The chief mourners were Ms McCarthy’s parents Helen and Paul, her brother James and her extended family.
In a joint eulogy Helen and Paul McCarthy paid tribute to their daughter’s energy, ability, popularity and determination. They also thanked her friends from school, work and college, many of whom they said had visited their home to console them in recent weeks.
Helen McCarthy said her daughter had enjoyed swimming, played soccer, tennis and GAA, before settling on basketball where her lack of height was made up for by her speed and determination.
She said her daughter’s finest talent was her “ability to identify the best people in the world to be her friends”. She said her daughter had been “a social butterfly” who made friends easily and brought many home who the family welcomed into their lives.
“It’s such a hugely traumatic time for you all. It’s such a young age to have to go through this. The support you have shown to me to Paul and to James is truly, truly humbling, full of empathy, loads of hugs, offers of help, suggestions of what you could do, you have pulled together and supported each other. Know that Eve must be so, so proud of you all.”
Paul McCarthy thanked the Shankill community and many people who had joined the celebration of Eve’s life, including those watching online. “We feel your presence. We send our love. Helen, James and I thank you for all the endless love and support showing to us during this shocking, painful, surreal experience,” he said.
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