By Gerry McLaughlin

 

There were over 1,000 mourner in tears in the packed Church of the Holy Family as Ardara and Donegal said a sad Slan agus Beannacht to its fairest flower.

 

Outside many others stood in the rain as the white coffin was brought in to the church for one of the largest funerals ever seen in Ardara.

 

Many hundreds more had called at the Molloy home for her wake.

 

Stewards, many of them from the Ardara GAA club, directed traffic as the community of Ardara came together to say farewell to a lovely young woman who could light up a room with her smile. 

 

Her brothers Karl Joseph and John Ross gently led their sister Mary Ellen Molloy’s coffin into the packed chapel on a day when grey grief gripped Ardara and Donegal-on a day when their family and many friends wrapped their arms around the Molloys.

 

In an emotional sermon, Father Johnny Moore, who was assisted by eight priests, including Mary Ellen’s grand uncle Father Des Sweeney, who also paid an emotional farewell, said that “Jesus Christ walked with Mary Ellen through each and every moment of that beautiful life from her birth to her death.”

 

“Angela and Terence were blessed with four beautiful children, Mary Ellen being the eldest, John Ross and Karl Joseph and remembering especially her sister Ashling who only lived for a few precious days.

 

“She was brought up to the importance of choosing right from wrong and learned to recognise Christ.

 

“As a nurse Mary Ellen gave of herself as a wonderful carer, showing empathy to others in their time of need and she showed her faith in Christ to the world in the care she gave to others.

 

“These are just wide brushstrokes that do not quite capture her beautiful personality.

 

“She was a daddy’s girl, devoted to her studies, loved drama and overcame nerves to recite a poem, showing great determination and that was indicative of her character.

 

“She sought to make time for people and always took time to take something positive from the relationships she made in her short but full life.

 

“She had a beautiful habit of opening her prayer book on a different page every day and made that her intention for the day.

 

“And we give thanks to God today for the great influence for good that she had on others”.

 

But there was quiet weeping when a poem of tribute was read out by a relative that said “love is a gift more precious than all gold, and wipe away that tear for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.”

 

Fr Des Sweeney, his voice breaking, said that Mary Ellen was “more alive than ever in Jesus Christ.”

 

“She will always be in the hearts of each and everyone here.

 

“And she would want us to let her go and we leave her in the arms of Jesus and his mother Mary at the foot of the cross.”

 

Father Moore said Mary Ellen’s family, the Molloys and Gillespies had many people to thank but two stood out.

 

They wanted to especially thank Mary Ellen’s friend Kathy Whelan in Melbourne and Pat The Cope Gallagher who had helped enormously in bringing Mart Ellen safely back to her own people. 

 

Mementos of Mary’s life, including her nurse’s uniform and a cross belonging to a relative, were brought to the flower bedecked altar.

 

Guards of honour from Mary’s school Glenties Comprehensive and Ardara GAA were formed as her coffin was brought in to the chapel.

 

Mary Ellen (26) from Edergole, Ardara, who was a niece of former Donegal All-Ireland captain Anthony Molloy, passed away on Friday, December 20 in Melbourne, Australia after the vehicle she was travelling in was hit by a falling tree. It is understood from preliminary reports that she suffered a heart attack en route to hospital.

 

She was a staff nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a past pupil of St Columba’s Comprehensive school in Glenties. 

 

A daughter of Terence and Angela Molloy, she is also survived by her brothers John Ross and Karl Joseph, grandmother Mary Angela, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family and her many friends and was predeceased by her sister Ashling.

 

She was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery after her Funeral Mass.

 

Slan go foill-Roisin Dubh.