TRIBUTES WERE PAID this morning at the funeral of Aoife Beary, one of the survivors of the Berkeley balcony collapse in 2015, who was described as having a “big heart” and a “sense of adventure and daring”.
Aoife passed away on New Year’s Day after suffering life-changing injuries during the tragedy, where six young people lost their lives after an apartment balcony collapsed during a party in the California city.
Aoife was among those seriously injured after the balcony collapse, and was left with long-lasting injuries.
Within the church this morning, Aoife was described as having “insisted” on living life well following the tragedy in Berkeley, and ensuring that her life had meaning and purpose.
Her godfather, James O’Doherty, spoke on behalf of Aoife’s family at the funeral, praising her for her fighting and insisting on living a good life after the tragedy.
O’Doherty said: “You fought such a good fight. The burden of your injuries and the burden of dealing with them didn’t leave a lot of space for joy in living but you insisted on living life well. You insisted on a life full of meaning and purpose.
“I know she wanted to live a full life on behalf of the friends she lost in Berkeley and even though it was just a short six years, I think she definitely achieved this. Her legacy is one of hope and determination as she managed her recovery with your unwavering support and very importantly her significant contribution to building and safety regulations in the US,” said O’Doherty, quoting Professor Tara McMorrow from UCD.
The funeral heard that she didn’t let what happened in Berkeley define her as a person.
She never forgot her friends throughout her life, even when she was before lawmakers in California giving her case for building regulation reform, the funeral heard.
“You didn’t forget them, your friends, when you went and sat in front of the lawmakers in California. And you said those words that I think everybody here remembers, that your birthday will always be their anniversary,” said O’Doherty.
Anecdotes were told about her travels, with family describing her as having a sense of “adventure and daring” that stayed with her throughout her life.
The local community was thanked for their support of Aoife’s family following her death.
The priest praised Aoife for her “big heart”, saying that she reached out to so many others through her acts of kindness and charity.
The funeral took place at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock in Dublin this morning.
Tributes were also paid to Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Lorcan Miller, Niccolai Schuster, Eimear Walsh and Ashley Donohoe who passed away during the Berkeley tragedy.
Aoife passed away in Beaumont hospital on Saturday, it is understood.
In 2016, the California Senate approved legislation that would enforce greater regulation and oversight on construction processes.
The bill required the Building Standards Commission to look at improving their safety requirements for balconies and other outdoor structures.
Aoife appeared at a public senate hearing in Sacramento in August 2016 to speak on the tragedy, with emotional testimony on how much she missed her friends.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say