Valerie Greaney was dedicated to her family, priest tells mourners

Valerie Greaney was always dedicated to her family and quick to forgive, mourners at her funeral mass in Cobh have been told.

Fr Pat O’Donoghue paid tribute to Ms Greaney as “a very caring person” whose strength of character was an inspiration to her family.

He said people would have to travel far before finding anyone who would have a bad word to say about her, while she herself would have had very few bad words to say about anyone.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh for the funeral mass of Ms Greaney (49) who died on Sunday after being attacked by her husband Michael (53), who later took his own life in what gardaí have described as “a tragic family incident”.

The couple's eldest daughter Michelle (21), who was injured in the incident at the family home at O'Neill Place in Cobh on Sunday afternoon, was discharged from Cork University Hospital to attend the funeral mass for her mother.

There were emotional scenes in the cathedral as Michelle embraced her younger sister Sarah (16), who was sent by her mother to raise the alarm on Sunday.

In his homily, Fr O’Donoghue said the family would have many questions but all that they could do now was trust their future lives to God who will take “the loose threads of the tapestry of our shared lives” and weave them into his higher purpose.

“We are at a stage where we are left with many questions to which there are no answers and many which we will never have an answer to and to explore these would not give us much in return. Quick answers which seem to fit will not help here”, he said.

Fr O'Donoghue led the prayers for Mr Greaney, who lay in repose separately at a funeral home in Charleville in North Cork last night, and who will be buried beside his wife at St Colman's Cemetery in Cobh on Saturday following a private funeral mass.

The HSE has issued a statement saying anyone affected by the incident should contact Console’s confidential freephone service on 1800 247 247 or the Samaritans on 116 123.