Rebecca Hoban's life had been "pitted with unhappiness" but she would be remembered for her great generosity and the way she cared deeply about people, her funeral was this morning.
Fr Bernard Murphy described the manner of Ms Hoban's death as "terrible" and said that as he had been opening the church on the Thursday morning before Christmas, one of the neighbours had came to him and advised him to go to Ms Hoban's family home.
"He told me something terrible had happened, and it had. A great light had gone out."
Ms Hoban (28) was stabbed at a house in Ranelagh last Wednesday night and pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Hospital a short time later.
Her funeral was on Christmas eve in the Carmelite Church on Whitefriar's Street around the corner from Mercer Street in the south inner city where she had lived.
About 200 mourners were led by her mother Jacqueline, her father Martin and her grandfather Robert. Her brother and sisters were also there. Her ten year-old son, Brandon, who is in foster-care, was not there.
Fr Murphy said it was important to remember her death was not only the loss of a life but of a person. As people talked about that person who had been Rebecca memories were embraced.
"They are important memories, they are very important," he said, "because when we talk about a person they come alive. There is a great reality in that."
He said that "when people speak of Rebecca they speak of her great gift of caring".
"There was a sincere responsibility in the way she cared for people, in the way she cared for her grandmother. And there was also an impishness about her that brought joy and laughter. Rebecca loved to have a laugh."
Fr Murphy said he knew one lady to whom Ms Hoban had one day brought a great bunch of flowers.
"She said to Rebecca, 'Don't be spending all your money on buying me flowers.' And Rebecca said to her, 'It's alright. Sure there's loads of flowers in the [St Stephen's] Green."
Referring to the death of her boyfriend in the last year and other family difficulties, he said her "journey through life" had been "pitted with unhappiness".
"But she always had a feistiness that made her come back, that gave her a spirit to live life. So now it is for all of us to remember Rebecca, who has become our Christmas child. She will always be remembered at Christmas."
He said those who had brought flowers, who said poems at her cremation later and who had shown her family support and compassion had given great gifts of gentleness and life, and these were appropriate ways to remember "Rebecca who came alive in her generosity".
There were readings from Ms Hoban's sisters, Jody and Anna, while a soloist sang a number of hymns and songs including Abide With Me, Amazing Graceand Going Home.
As Ms Hoban's coffin lay in the church, a soft toy and a photograph of her son when he was a baby rested on it. As it was carried from the church it bore a number of single flowers including roses and lilies.
Her remains were then brought to Mount Jerome for cremation.
