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Mum tells funeral that infant daughter Chloe Fogarty was a 'special angel'

Paul and Louise Fogarty got married last year and had recently made plans to build a new family home in Dundrum.
Paul and Louise Fogarty got married last year and had recently made plans to build a new family home in Dundrum. Paul and Louise Fogarty got married last year and had recently made plans to build a new family home in Dundrum.

A SEVEN-month-old girl who died after she was left in a car on the hottest day of the year has been described as a "special angel" by her mother.

Louise Fogarty was addressing mourners at the funeral of her infant daughter, Chloe, which was held at St Nicholas' Church, Solohead in Tipperary today.

Mrs Fogarty was returning to work following maternity leave last Thursday when her husband and Chloe's father, Paul, offered to drop the child off at crèche on his way to work.

It has been suggested that Mr Fogarty was distracted by a phone call and forgot Chloe was asleep in the back seat of the car as he went into work at O'Dwyer's Steel in the village of Dundrum.

Several hours later she was found strapped into her car seat and unresponsive. Temperatures in the area at the the time were as high as 25 degrees.

The infant was in a critical condition as she was airlifted from the nearby Kickham's GAA field to University Hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

It is understood that the cause of death was heatstroke.

Paul Fogarty placed his daughter's small, white coffin on the altar before her mother addressed the congregation.

"We will cherish every memory we have of you. I cherish the scar on my tummy where you entered the world," she said.

"Every time we close our eyes your beautiful face is all I see. I don't know how our lives will go on. It will never be the same.

"Paul and I will stay strong together as I know that is what you would want, our darling daughter.

"I'm so sorry you had to go. We had such big dreams and hopes for your future. Heaven was missing an angel, a special angel, they needed you."

The couple got married last year and had recently made plans to build a new family home in Dundrum.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral.

"We can't wait until we can hold you tight in our arms again," Mrs Fogarty added.

"Mammy and daddy and your family love you and we will love you forever and never forget you.

"Sleep tight Chloe our precious, beautiful daughter."