Zara (13) was ‘one in a million’
DAD OF PITCH DEATH GIRL ON DEVASTATING LOSS
THE heartbroken dad of 13-yearold Zara Murphy paid tribute to his “one in a million” daughter yesterday as she was laid to rest following her sudden death while playing soccer.
Devastated parents Brian and Angela buried their only daughter and comforted Zara’s older brother Ben during her funeral at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Drogheda, Co Louth.
Zara, from Drogheda, was only 13 when she took ill during a soccer match for her club Termonfeckin Celtic FC’s under-14 team.
She was treated by emergency services and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, where she died.
Heartbroken mourners packed into the church yesterday, just weeks after
Zara made her Confirmation there.
The funeral procession was led by players from both Termonfeckin Celtic FC and Newtown Blues GFC walking on either side of the hearse. They paused at The Glen football pitch, where the flag was flown at half mast, and led a round of applause.
Mourners heard from Fr Eugene Sweeney that she was being laid to rest in her Confirmation outfit.
He added: “We had Zara for too short a while. We think of her heartbroken parents Angela and Brian and her brother Ben, her nana Jacinta and grandad Joe.
“We have a sense of shock and devastation at the cruel passing of Zara at such a tender age.
“We are broken and bereft. Such a beautiful gift has been suddenly and unfairly snatched from us.”
Gifts were taken to the altar by her grandparents and friends and teammates from St Oliver’s National School and her local sports clubs.
Eulogy
In his eulogy, Zara’s dad Brian said the family are “utterly heartbroken” and their “worlds have been turned upside down”.
Brian, a well-known soccer referee, was at the game in Termonfeckin and ran to his daughter’s side shortly after she fell to the ground.
“Zara loved life and lived every day to the fullest,” he said.
“Everybody she seemed to meet loved her back, too. Zara was a strongwilled, sassy, funny and exuberant girl. She gave everything she took up 200 per cent commitment.
“She loved sport, especially football, soccer and gymnastics. She was determined she would make it at one of them — (her) major ambition to be bigger and better than Katie McCabe.”
He said her drive rubbed off on her friends and teammates, and that the family hopes some of them will “make it for Zara, playing county, or for Ireland, or just being your best self ”.
“We know Zara will be looking over you,” he added. “You are one in a million. Shine bright sweetheart.”
After the funeral mass, Zara was buried in Newtown Cross Lawns Cemetery on Termonfeckin Road.