THE BUCKLEY family have asked for "space", as the month anniversary of their daughter’s death has passed by.
Speaking to The Irish Post, Mourneabbey Parish Priest Father Joe O’Keeffe said: “The family are looking for a little bit of space to cope with this. It is still a very upsetting time for them and they want to be left alone.”
Fr O’Keeffe’s words come just three weeks on from Karen’s funeral, which he officiated in the Church of Michael the Archangel in Analeentha parish – where Karen was baptised, received her communion and was confirmed.
The removal and funeral saw thousands flock to the small Co. Cork town of Mallow, where Karen had attended the local school, just a stone’s throw from her home village of Mourneabbey.
While her parents, John and Marion, and brothers Kieran, Damien and Brendan, deal with their ongoing grief, it remains unclear whether there will be a month’s mind mass in Karen’s memory.
“We haven’t broached that subject yet,” said Fr O’Keeffe. “Whether there will be one or not – I don’t know – but I know the family need space and time to grieve.”
Karen’s funeral mass was attended by hundreds of mourners, including some from her university in Glasgow.
She was laid to rest on April 28 in Burnfort Cemetery, next to her grandparents Patrick and Hannah.
