Jessica Gallagher's family clutched on to her coffin amid heartbreaking scenes from the first funeral to be held after the devastating Cresslough explosion. The 24-year-old had been due to start a new job on Monday and was back in her hometown to visit her boyfriend when the blast happened.
She had been in the flat above the Applegreen service station. Her partner is critically ill in hospital. At her funeral on Tuesday the local priest described her as someone who was "bursting with energy and imagination". Father John Joe Duffy said "Everyone who knew Jessica knew that radiant smile. That radiant smile that would light up a room with that infectious warmth that flowed from her. She always brought that sun whether things were happy or difficult." The cleric said her success in life was based on "hard work and determination".
"Jessica was of a slender stature but very strong, very strong, in every way possible," he told the congregation. "Strong in her own opinions, strong in her own self belief, in her determination. Her confidence was unstoppable. Honest and direct, she would tell you what she was thinking. But she could also let you tell her of what you thought of an opinion or a situation or a reality. Whether you liked it or not, or whether she liked it or not, she took it as it was."
