FAMILY and friends of a Co Down student have been left "numb and helpless" at her "untimely and unexpected death", mourners at her funeral have been told.
Hundreds packed into St Malachy's Church in Castlewellan to pay their last respects to Ellen Finnegan who died in a fire in her flat in the town on Saturday morning.
Fr Sean Cahill told mourners that "Ellen loved and was loved so deeply" and spoke of the final conversation she had with her father, Bartley, hours before her death, in which she told him she loved him.
He said: "I know how Bartley cherishes the last conversation with his daughter, who he and Nicola loved so much. I was privileged to witness the proud joy they had for Ellen. Ellen loved and was loved so deeply.
"Full of joy, I remember when she joined the parish folk choir here and they were preparing for Christmas, she had a Christmas jumper and a Santa hat at the practice every week."
Fr Cahill added: "When the folk group were asked to donate toys for a parish trip to Zambia, Ellen gave her doll. A photo was taken of the doll with its new owner and Ellen cherished that picture."
Friends and family sobbed as they read prayers, with one friend stating: "You were only here for a short time but you left an everlasting impression."
Prayers were also offered for the fire service, the police and the man who raised the alarm.
Fr Cahill said: "I suggest that death makes life precious. Death makes life urgent for love."
And referring to the gospel of St Luke he added that there was "a challenge to all of us: 'To whom of us more life is given, of them more is expected'."
Miss Finnegan died on the third anniversary of the death of her mother Nicola, who passed away from cancer at the age of just 49.
She was an A-level pupil at Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch and waitress at Percy French restaurant in Newcastle.
More than 20 firefighters were involved in the battle to bring the fire under control. The cause of the blaze is still not known.
About 200 pupils, friends and staff gathered at Assumption Grammar School on Sunday for a prayer service. Classmates broke down as warm tributes were paid to the student, who recently received an offer to study at university in Liverpool.
