Offaly mourns beautiful young Aoife

The Clara teenager who died in a road traffic accident last Friday was a “beautiful girl” and a “fantastic daughter, grandaughter, niece and friend”, mourners at her funeral today were told.

Fourteen-year-old Aoife Siún Doyle died from injuries sustained when she was struck by a jeep while out walking with a friend on the Clara to Ballycumber Road at around 7.30pm on Friday evening.

Speaking during the procession of the gifts at Aoife's funeral in St Brigid's Church, Clara on Thursday morning, Aoife's uncle Ronan Scully said that his niece was a “beautiful girl”, who “loved to dress up” and “loved going to events”.

Among the gifts brought up was a computer generated image of heart that featured tributes from her classmates from Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa and a blanket knitted by her grandmother Mary Scully.

Due to the coronavirus, the funeral was confined to family but was broadcast live on YouTube where it was viewed hundreds, many of whom left messages of condolences.

Celebrant Fr Joe Deegan said that the current health crisis added another dimension to the loss suffered by Aoife's family.

“This terrible tragedy is compounded, magnified, multiplied by the circumstances that we find ourselves in because of the coronavirus. One of the things because of restrictions that cannot happen that would have been helpful would have been to have a normal wake. There is great support from the people who gather to just show their genuine care, concern, comfort and consolation to a family who are grieving.”
The fact that people couldn't sympathise in person with Aoife's relatives “makes it all the harder”, Fr Deegan said.

Aoife is deeply regretted by her heartbroken Mam and Dad, Oonagh Scully and Damien Doyle, grandparents Pat and Kay Doyle (Dublin), Ricey and Mary Scully (Clara), aunts, uncles, grand aunts, grand uncles, cousins and friends.