Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Alphonsus's church in Barntown, Co Wexford, yesterday evening for the removal of Sharon Grace and her two daughters, Abby (3) and Mikahla (4), who drowned in the Slaney river at the weekend.
Ms Grace's surviving daughter, Amy (10), and her separated husband, Barry Grace, held hands as the three coffins were brought into the crowded church, a few miles outside Wexford town.
Fr Seán O'Gorman told mourners that the death of Sharon and her two daughters was an occasion of "incredible sadness" and asked the congregation to pray for her relations and friends.
The mother and her two daughters are due to be buried following Requiem Mass at St Alphonsus's church at 11am today.
Ms Grace's mother and father, Eddie and Rosie Reddy, were among the mourners, as well as her brother, Eddie jnr (23). Her sister, Lillian, who is minding Sharon's surviving daughter, Amy, was present with her own daughters, Rachel (5) and Amber (4).
Mr Grace's extended family, including his mother, Elsie, a well-known former local election candidate, were there, with neighbours, friends and workers from Wexford Cabs, where he worked as a base operator.
Earlier yesterday relatives told of the stress she felt under in the days leading up to her death.
A spokeswoman for the Grace family said: "Maybe she needed that extra bit of help."
Asked if the family had sought help from the social services or health board, she replied: "We asked for some basic kind of support, but that doesn't matter now. She's gone. We're just so devastated by everything. Barry can barely cope with what's happened."
Ms Grace and her husband are believed to have been in dispute over access to their two youngest children.
Her sister, Lillian, said the prospect of losing access to her children or being involved in a court dispute was preying heavily on her mind in the days leading up to her and the children's deaths.
She said that, while her sister had not been diagnosed with depression, looking back she could see she was under severe strain and was going through a personal crisis.
"She was very upset on the Thursday before . . . but she seemed to be getting on with things," she said. They had arranged to meet on the Saturday night that she died.
"She was so soft-hearted, she made an impression on everyone she met.
"She was devoted to the children . . . I just can't get over that I'm not going to see her again," Lillian said.
