By KATHRYN HAYES
THE heartbroken mother of a 15 year Limerick girl whose body was recovered from the Shannon river earlier this month has spoken of her devastating loss and urged other teenagers to seek help if they are feeling down.
Shirley Kinsella was speaking last Sunday at a special event to honour seven groups involved in the search for her daughter Chloe who was found six days after she went missing from her home at Kenyon Avenue in Kileely.
Limerick gardaí, Civil Defence, Abbeyfeale and District Search and Rescue, the Irish Coastguard, Bunratty and Mallow Search and Rescue teams and Limerick Marine Search and Rescue received plaques of gratitude at a special ceremony held in St Munchin’s Community Centre in Limerick.
It was from here that hundreds of volunteers gathered on a daily basis to take part in the search for the missing teenager who was eventually found just yards from the home she shared with her parents and seven siblings.
Speaking about the loss of her daughter, Shirley Kinsella said she is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
“I’m not coping.. I’m just trying to keep things together it’s very hard altogether. Words just don’t come into it, ” Mrs Kinsella said.
The mother of seven who praised all those involved in the search for her youngest daughter, also spoke yesterday about the dangers of alcohol for young people.
“If one of those little friends that was with Chloe came down and just had a look at me and the devastation that I’m going through they wouldn’t even think about touching drink again. I am absolutely devastated, I can’t get my head around it at all.. I haven’t probably slept yet. I know she’s gone but I still think she is going to come back.” she said.
Mrs Kinsella whose four year old daughter Sophie died from a heart illness in 2004 urged all young people to get advice if they are feeling down.
“I never thought for one minute she would do that. I never thought for one second. But I would tell them [young people] to think. They don’t need it, [alcohol] they are beautiful little children, there is plenty for them to do out there. Go seek help if you think you are down and out go and seek help off somebody, that’s the advice I would give them,” she continued.
“Live life to the full. They don’t need drink at the end of the day They are all beautiful little children at the end of they day they were all her friends they don’t need it they are all good little kids. They think that drink helps but it doesn’t you have to get up at the end of the day and face everything in the morning it doesn’t help..”
In a powerful homily, at Chloe’s funeral mass Reverend Pat Seaver also warned against the dangers of alcohol and pleaded with all young people to “live life to the full” and said the Kinsella family do not want any other parents to suffer such a devastating loss.
“All of us were anxious not to glamorise Chloe’s funeral service. Her death is tragic and it follows in the wake of two similar deaths of students at St Nessan’s during the summer holidays. We do not want any more tragedies. Life is for living – especially for young people – especially for 15 year olds,” Rev Seaver said.
