Mourners at Gillian Daly's funeral told of the 'lifetime of joy and happiness' she brought to her family and friends

No two children were ever as cherished or as loved as Gillian Daly’s beloved sons Evan and Luke, Gillian’s husband John O’Connell told the congregation at her funeral Mass on Tuesday.

“There isn’t enough time and there aren’t enough words to do justice to the lifetime of joy and happiness that you brought to the people around you, and especially to me and to our two beautiful children, Evan and Luke,” Mr O’Connell said in his eulogy to Gillian.

He wrote that he would not be able to get the words out, and so he would have to rely on Gillian’s brother Jason to speak for him.

Jason’s voice faltered and broke as he gave his own tribute, remembering a loving sister who, he said, as a youngster had equally felt every small bruise and cut experienced by her siblings.

He thanked all of those who attended the scene last Friday evening when, in a tragic accident, Gillian drowned after her car entered the water at Kennedy Quay in Cork, and he thanked those who rescued Evan and Luke and cared for them.

Ms Daly’s funeral Mass was celebrated by Fr Jack Fitzgerald, who was joined by Fr Jack Twomey and Fr Dick Dowling, and it took place in St Patrick’s Church in Millstreet, 13 years after she and John were married there.