Funeral for Leona Harper hears of 'little lady with a big heart who lived a full life'

Watch the service here

Requiem Mass took place in St Mary’s Church, Ramelton.

In his homily, Father Micheal Carney said those who have climbed Muckish Mount, Creeslough’s “great brooding backdrop”, will know to heed the weather.

“It can change quickly, so much so that you can be covered by cloud and surrounded by impenetrable fog even on a clear blue-skied day,” he said.

“Clouds and fog come to mind as I think of the events of last Friday.

“The cloud of this awful tragedy which has robbed us of so much weighs heavy on our county, communities, parishes and homes.

“We are lost in a fog of grief and sadness so painful it hurts.

“The scale of the tragedy is so unimaginable it is almost unreal. And then names, faces, stories and yarns make it so very real.”

Fr Carney welcomed Leona’s family and loved ones to the Mass, in particularly her parents Donna and Hugh, her brothers Anthony and Jamie and her grandmother Mary and her extended family.

He also welcomed her friends from school in Scoil Mhuire and Mulroy College, her rugby teammates and all those who knew Leona through her hobbies and pursuits.

“The suddenness of Leona’s going has left you her family and all who knew and loved Leona shell-shocked and grief-stricken,” he said.

sparkled with energy and fun quiet always helpful.”

Father Carney described Leona as a “little lady with a big heart who lived a full life”.

“As with most 14-year-olds, there were four important anchors in her life: her family, her friends, her hobbies and her school,” he said.

“They were at once separate and all interconnected.

“Hugh and Donna talk of their daughter as their little miracle – and therein lies a story… when Anthony was born, Donna was told that there was no prospect of her conceiving another child. But seven years later something unexpected happened: Leona arrived, hence the little miracle.”

Father Carney said there is “nothing heavier than grief”.

“Sadness is like a big unwieldy weight we’re saddled with but can’t quite manage to carry comfortably,” he added.

“It presses down on us, presses in on us, unbalancing us and tripping us up. It is upsetting and unsettling and leaves us out of sorts, cast adrift and lonely.”

He said it makes people wonder if they will ever be at peace again.

“Put simply, we have a gaping wound, we are in pain and the nice, neat, ordered and happy ways of our lives have been kicked over and shattered like glass on a paved floor,” he added.

Rev Carney said that Leona’s interests “were were in music and dance and more recently hair and fashion”.

"She loved the outdoors, she fished and she hunted and loved the peace and serenity of Garden Lake, and appreaciated farming and tractors,” added the cleric.

"She was beginning to show promise in rugby and Liverpool was her team.

"She grabbed all opportunities at school and she carried gentleness and kindness from primary school with her.”

Father Carney said Leona’s years were “short and brief” but “packed to brimming”.

“Leona brightened her world with a gentle but feisty character, a unique personality, a distinctive array of talents and interests which for you, who loved her, were both memorable and life giving,” he said.

He added that life should be measured by the efforts we make, not its duration.

“Leona may have lived a little life but she lived a very full life,” he said.

“Its brevity will make her contribution to her family, to her friends and her schools all the more radiant and bright.

“She brought her own unique qualities to the lives of those she loved, lived and laughed with. She has left a lasting impression of vitality, optimism and endeavour.”

Concluding the homily Father Carney said Leona had “gone home to God”.

“We pray for Leona’s everlasting happiness and thank God and should thank God every day for her time among us,” he said.

The teenager was described as being a talented rugby player by Letterkenny Rugby Club, where she played in the under-14 team.

Her father Hugh told Highland Radio his daughter was a "little gem".

Paying tribute to Leona, Mulroy College said its school community had been filled with a terrible sadness following her death.

"We will think of her great strength of character, independent mindedness and love of sport and farming," it said.

Martina Martin, it added, was also a parent at the school, which is about 12 miles from Creeslough, and would be remembered as a "cherished friend".

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