‘Our hearts are shattered for the rest of our lives’: Sister of Limerick woman killed in dog attack speaks at funeral

THE YOUNGER sister of Nicole Morey who was killed in a dog attack on her 23rd birthday paid a beautiful tribute at her funeral Mass this Monday morning, saying “I love and miss you forever”.

Nicole’s sister Jolene bravely spoke just after Fr Pat Hogan commenced the Mass in the Holy Family Church, Southill. The priest said they gathered together in “a sense of shock and horror at a great tragedy that took place”. 

Fr Hogan spoke of the depths of tragedy, the depths of darkness, of unbelievable grief, shock and horror that somebody could  be taken from us as Nicole was”.

Nicole’s coffin and the front of the altar were adorned with flower arrangements with photos of Nicole, of Bawnmore View, Crossgalla, at their heart.

“To my loving sister, never in a million years did I think I'd be here at your funeral. You were so loving and caring, you never deserved any of this. Our memories will live on forever. 

"Me, Nicole, and my brothers grew up so close together, we would sit down for hours in one bedroom with our colouring books doing colouring competitions. We would make my mother pick the winner and if Nicole didn't win, we used to never hear the end of it,” said Jolene.

She said there was "no closer bond than me and my sister Nicole".  

“She was like a mother figure to me and my brothers. I'm going to be so lost without you - our big sister, our family tree is broken, and I'm trying my best to stay so strong on the outside but on the inside it's hurting so much,” said Jolene.

She recalled laughing and joking around the kitchen table when at Nicole’s birthday a year ago.

“You'd never think a year later our hearts are shattered for the rest of our lives but I know you will be right by my side through all of this hard time. Please watch over us, Nicole. We need you more than ever now. I love and miss you forever,” concluded Jolene to warm applause.

Nicole’s father Patrick shared some touching memories of his daughter and how she used to run rings around him as a child

“As you grew up, your beauty and your smile got bigger and better. I used to give out to you for ringing me at work to bring you a Chinese and then looking for a vape and six cans of coke. But to be honest I looked forward to the calls every day. I wish I could just get one more of those calls from you. 

“We will miss you dearly. You’ll be forever 23 and forever in our hearts. We love you and we miss you every day. Please give us the heart and strength we need to get through this. Sleep tight our baby girl,” said Patrick, again to warm applause from mourners in the church.

Among the gifts to the altar were Nicole’s laptop as she loved social media, especially TikTok and “always wanted to go viral”.

Nicole’s phone, 'Alexa', a vape, a can of Red Bull and a scratch card - Nicole “was always full of energy and would try her luck on anything” - along with fake eyelashes and nails for their “beauty queen”, and family photos of Nicole and her 10 siblings were handed to the priest as symbols of her life.

Fr Hogan expressed his sympathies to the family and spoke of how people had gathered them around with tremendous generosity, kindness and leadership and helped out the family in the recent days.

Nicole was laid to rest in Mount St Oliver Cemetery following the funeral Mass.

May she rest in peace