A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER who was found murdered in her County Tipperary home was a “one of a kind, true lady”, mourners gathered her funeral heard today (Friday).
Josephine ‘Josie’ Ray (89), of St Joseph’s Park and late of Carney, Nenagh, was the victim of a violent assault last Sunday (August 4).
Gardai, who were considering the possibility that Ms Ray knew her killer, arrested two persons, a man and a woman, both aged in their 50s, in connection with the murder probe.
The two suspects were being “detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Garda stations in the Southern Region and investigations are ongoing”, a Garda spokeswoman said.
Paying tribute to the late Nenagh woman, Ms Ray’s granddaughter, Rosie, told mourners gathered at the funeral mass, held at St Mary of The Rosary Church in Nenagh, that “Nanny Josie” was a woman of glamour who was loved by all who knew her.
“She was a lady, she loved her style, always into glitter, and she loved her jewellery. She loved getting her hair and nails done too, she was a great woman of glamour.”
“She was some woman for dancing, any (event) that was on in town she would be at it with my mother, Sarah. Josie was always up for a laugh and a dance.
“She had a great heart, she always said to me: ‘Rosie, I’ll never forget you for doing that’. For just the little things I would do for her, like going to the shop, making her cups of tea, she really appreciated everything.
“She had great time for all her grandkids, great-grandkids, she was a straight-forward woman who always said it and meant it.”
Rosie said her grandmother loved shopping and “getting a bit of grub in the Hi-B” – the Hibernian Inn in Nenagh town.
“Josie started going to the day care centre lately, five days a week, she loved it up there so much, everyone was so nice and kind to her, she wanted to move in, I’d say, she loved all the company she had up there,” Rosie said.
“She had great time for everyone that knew her, she is a Park (St Joseph’s Park) legend, and all who knew her from the Park will always remember her and miss her.
“We will all miss you Josie, you were one of a kind, a true lady, we’ll all love you always. Rest In Peace.”
Parish priest Fr Pat Gilbert told those gathered that “we have heavy hearts, we are shocked and stunned by the sudden and tragic passing of our beloved Josie Ray”.
“We find ourselves in a place of bewilderment and dismay struggling to make sense of the world without (Josie’s) vibrant presence.”
Fr Gilbert said Ms Ray “leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness and compassion that will endure long beyond this moment, she was a remarkable woman, and we are stunned, bewildered, and heartbroken”.
Ms Ray was one of the town’s great characters “who brought so much light, laughter, and love” to the local community, Fr Gilbert said.
“Our hearts ache and our minds struggle to comprehend the loss of someone so vibrant. Josie Ray was a woman of remarkable presence, well known throughout Nenagh, especially in St Joseph’s Park, for her glamorous style. Her blonde hair was a much as part of her identity as her radiant smile, and made her a beacon in his town and community.
“Walking through the streets often with her beloved daughters by her side, Josie would stop to chat – her wit and warmth drew people in like a magnet.
“Josie was lively, likeable, and utterly loveable, a true character who left an indelible mark on everyone she met. She was a great neighbour, a true friend, and a cornerstone to this close knit community.
“She was also a woman devoted to her family, raising them with love and care – her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, were her pride and joy, the lights of her life.”
As well as her passion for fashion, Ms Ray loved “traditional music and the comfort of the radio, which were the sounds that filled her home and her heart and her being”, Fr Gilbert said.
“Josie embraced life with both hands and she lived it with a vigour and a passion that is truly inspiring, so let us hold onto the memories of her laughter, her kindness, her style, and her love, and let us find comfort in knowing that she is now at peace.”
The remains of the mother of five were shouldered out of the church in a wood coffin to a musical recording of the anthemic ‘Goodbye Venice, Goodbye’ by the late Irish singer Joe Dolan.
Ms Ray, who was predeceased by her husband Paddy and her daughter Joan, was laid to rest in the nearby Killodeirnan Graveyard.
