‘I can’t even remember the first time I saw your face, but I do know within my life, no one can take your place’
Gathering at St Joseph’s Church in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow on Friday, Molly’s extended family and friends brought light to the darkest of occasions as they donned bright pink and white t-shirts bearing an image of their lost loved one in tribute to her infectious, outgoing personality and lust for life.
“Bright, bubbly and cheeky” with a love for making noise, Molly’s indelible impact on her community was reflected in the huge crowds of mourners that gathered at St Joseph’s and rallied around devastated parents Nigel and Mary, who also lost their sons Roy, in 2007 when he was just 13, and Killian, in 2016, aged 16.
The youngest of nine siblings, before Molly’s requiem mass commenced, family members adorned the altar and her coffin with cherished mementoes, including a photograph to represent her love for her family, a speaker to signify her passion for loud music, “as her neighbours would well know”, and her favourite book – ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ – which she “loved to read herself, and to her nieces and nephews”.
Reading an emotional poem he had penned to his cousin, Bailey took to the podium, saying: “My dear Molly, we’ve made a lot of memories throughout our childhood days, no worries in this great big world, all we did was play.
“I knew you would have my back and that I could count on you, even now since we’ve grown up, I know it still to be true.
“I can’t even remember the first time I saw your face, but I do know within my life, no one can take your place.
“We’re there for each other, and we’ll be there to the end, by blood we are cousins, and by hearts we are friends.”
Paying testament to Molly’s love for animals, vivacious personality, and her adoration for earth-shaking music, Ella, JP, and Mackenzie read a moving tribute to Molly’s brief but memory-filled life.
“This is a little walk down memory lane for anyone who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Molly’s amazing personality – you’ll see this within the next few stories,” the tribute began.
“I think we’ll start with Molly’s love for animals, horses, donkeys and especially her two babies, Polly and Vinny – her dogs.
“A fond memory of Molly’s love for animals is when she and JP, ‘Double Trouble’, thought it was a great idea and a bit of craic, sure why not, to sit in Molly’s room and make a bridle from some rope they had found, and to later use that on Max the donkey, which the pair robbed and rode from a field of a local farmer. We would like to mention that the donkey was in fact returned.
“I’m sure half of Baltinglass heard the two singing their hearts out to ‘Into the West’, convinced they were the real cowboys of the southeast.
“JP and Molly also had a love for dancing, with videos and pictures to prove it. From jiving to break dancing, they had it all.
“The next memory is with her lovely sister Ella, in which she was the older one, but in Molly’s world, she was the eldest,” it continued.
“Even though she tormented the heart and soul out of Ella, Ella was always Molly’s other half. We’d also like to mention that if you looked at Ella wrong, or any of her family for that matter, Molly was there to pull you up on it and be ready to cut through you for a shortcut.
“Molly was the baby, but Ella was Molly’s baby, and she loved her so much.
“Molly and Ella also invited the neighbours to a lovely concert, knowing full well they sounded like cats on a tin roof. The X-Factor duo allowed Whitehall to be their judges, and they didn’t apologise.
“Another X-Factor moment was when myself, Ella, Yvonne and Molly were singing the better version of ‘Let it Go’ after seeing it in the cinema a couple of days prior in the kitchen.
“Anyone who knew Molly would know that she loved to make noise, especially when she wanted to annoy the neighbours.
“Herself, Ella and JP went up and down the stairs stomping in a pair of steel-toe-capped boots, and sure everyone heard them.
“Her speaker was definitely the worst present Santa could have brought her. The entire town would feel the vibrations and hear Molly’s music, although I really think we’d all pay to hear all that again and to hear the cheeky laugh after turning it up to the fullest volume, making sure everyone knew it was Molly.
“The last and best memory we would like to share with you all is when Ella and Molly gave JP a total glamour makeover to turn JP into Jenice – he was fab girls.
“He was fully kitted with a pink dress, makeup and pink Barbie heels, accessorised with a pink bag, earrings and a fabulous fur coat.
“Molly really was one of a kind, so bright, beautiful and funny. The world will be so quiet without her. Her bubbly personality is going to be missed so much.
“Rest easy now Moll – we love you, sweet girl.”
Daughter to broken-hearted parents Nigel and Mary, sister to Joe, Charlie, Jake, Laura, Yvonne, Ella and late brothers Roy and Killian, granddaughter to May (Fox) and Dolly (Dempsey), niece, cousin and friend to so many, Molly Dempsey was laid to rest in Baltinglass Cemetery on Friday, May 10, 2024.
May she rest in peace.
