Rebecca McCarthy held her three-year-old daughter Clarissa’s favorite toy as the young girl was laid to rest in the same coffin as her father, Martin McCarthy, in West Cork.
McCarthy drowned his daughter and then took his own life earlier in the week in an incident that has shocked the community of Ballydehob.
A funeral mass was held in St Mary's Church in Schull and both the McCarthy family and the family of the distraught mother were bound together in grief.
During the mass, Fr. Alan O’Mahoney addressed the congregation.
"If we knew what was going on in the minds of people, we would not be here today," said the priest, according to the Irish Independent.
"Martin lived all his life in Filemuck and I suppose he only ever really left it to come to Mass, go dancing, play cards and to go to work – and to America once.
"He was farming all his life, it was a big part of his life apart from Clarissa and Rebecca. Clarissa spent all of her short life at Filemuck and in her three-and-a-half years on this earth brought great joy, great happiness not just to Martin and Rebecca's life but the lives of all the people who met her."
Members of the community left wreaths with messages of condolences, and when the mass was over the father and daughter were laid to rest together and the Schull cemetery.
14 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Silling | Mar 17, 2013, 05:02 PM EDT
I will respond to this later. Thank you for asking.
seamus60 | Mar 12, 2013, 05:48 PM EDT
Anglo. I think the point was he could not live without the daughter and had it been the same with the wife there might well have been a triple funeral. All the same the mother must know just how deep the mans love was for his daughter other wise would they be buried in the same grave , let alone the same coffin. Rest in peace together Martin and little Clarissa.
anglo-norman | Mar 11, 2013, 03:59 PM EDT
The man was a dim-witted murderer. Given half a chance he could have murdered the mother as well.
IrelandNorth | Mar 11, 2013, 03:46 PM EDT
Farmings' a 24/7 (365/12) occupation. No 9-5, Mon-Fri for farmers. No clocking in or out. Also, it's not too long ago that suicides were refused burial in the consecrated ground f church graveyards/cemetries. Just like unbaptised still born (oe naturally aborted) children. Fortunately, contemporary Christianity has developed a human face.
mowalsh | Mar 11, 2013, 03:15 PM EDT
Murdering your 3-yr-old is not a gesture of love. Maybe he was depressed, but we'll never know his motivation. Let's think about the hell this young widow probably went through BEFORE she decided to leave this possessive wacko.
connemaragirl | Mar 11, 2013, 01:12 AM EDT
You know that woman is in total shock just going through the motions,I call it a buffer from God to help see you through till yo take care of what has to be done, ask anyone who lost some one suddenly, she's surrounded by friends and family now but life goes on and hopefully she'll find the strength to go on and be happy she has a heavy cross to carry.
anglo-norman | Mar 10, 2013, 07:44 PM EDT
I don't think depression can be blamed for that mans evil act and evil it was.
Claredaughter | Mar 10, 2013, 07:27 PM EDT
I agree with Saraindc....God bless the woman for her strength and courage...if only there were some way to ease her pain..........
anglo-norman | Mar 10, 2013, 06:48 PM EDT
She has more moral courage than the whole of that country put together. I wish her well in her future.
saraindc | Mar 10, 2013, 03:30 PM EDT
You have to admire her for allowing her precious daughter to be buried with her father despite what he did. She clearly has a true heart and is able to recognize he reacted out of fear. Its very healthy for her to have them buried together as she knows he loved his daughter and its healthy for both their families that they can come together and mourn as one family with a tragedy shared. I hope she can move on in her life from this and find happiness again. A tragedy for sure.
handsome68 | Mar 10, 2013, 03:29 PM EDT
Seems strange to bury both of them together. I mean, the father killed the daughter. Maybe it is just another Irish custom that Americans like me -- me having Irish parents -- fail to understand. I'm not trying to respect or disrespect either custom, but it is a cultural difference in custom that I doubt would occur in America.
RobinForester | Mar 10, 2013, 02:41 PM EDT
I have no sympathy for the father, and view him as a tragic figure, even so I will say "There but for the Grace Of God or Lady Luck, go I", Vert sad,.
BoysofBantry | Mar 10, 2013, 01:31 PM EDT
Will Rebecca remain at the farm house? It is hard to imagine! Hopefully in time she will heal from this tragic event and perhaps start a new family, but such horrors are never forgotten.
mreinhar2001 | Mar 10, 2013, 11:41 AM EDT
It is okay to reach out for help. Please just do it!