Tributes flow after sudden death of young mother who 'could light up any room'
Ciara, who was in her late 20s and from Ballincollig, passed away suddenly at Cork University Hospital on Thursday, a profound loss for her family, colleagues and many friends.
As a mark of respect, Clancy's Bar was closed on Saturday, allowing staff to pay their respects to their dearly-departed colleague, reports Cork Beo.
One colleague said: "Her smile and laugh could light up any room, and she brought so much warmth to everyone around her.
"As our manager at Clancy's, her strength, guidance, and support meant the world to us. She led with her heart, not just in her work, but in who she was. Rest in peace, Ciara. You'll be deeply missed and always remembered."
A heartfelt social media post on behalf of Clancy's Bar read: "We at Clancy's are deeply saddened at the sudden passing of our team member and GM Ciara O'Callaghan. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Ciara's family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew and loved her."
Ms O'Callaghan, a mother to a young girl and one of five sisters, is survived by her parents, John and Susan, her daughter Milli, sisters, brothers-in-law Shane, Craigh, Colm and Jordan, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives, colleagues and friends.
The family of Ciara have requested that attendees of the funeral wear bright-coloured outfits. She will be lying in repose at Crowley's Funeral Home, Ballincollig on Monday from 6.00pm with prayers at 7.00pm.
A Requiem Mass will be held at 11.00am on Tuesday (July 15) in the Church of St Mary and St John, Ballincollig, followed by her funeral at St Oliver's Cemetery.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Wedding of the Week: Magic of Disneyland Paris proposal followed by fairytale East Cork wedding
Sleeping Beauty's castle was the backdrop to their engagement, and Barnabrow Country House in Cloyne, Co Cork, lent similar fairytale qualities to the ceremony and reception when Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan said 'I do'. Ciara from Kilrush, Co Clare, and Donagh from Cill Na Martra, Co Cork, were married by celebrant Marian Dooley this month. Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: Ciara, who works at Alcon, and Donagh, a secondary school teacher, first met in April 2021. 'We instantly clicked and connected over our similar sense of humour and movie taste,' she says. They got engaged three years later, in February 2024, at Disneyland Paris. 'We both love Disneyland,' says Ciara. 'Donagh proposed just outside the castle, and instead of an engagement ring, had an 'engagement tiara'!' Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: Ciara's dream dress awaited her in the first bridal boutique she visited, Cinderella's Closet. 'Wedding dress shopping was really easy. My sister and maid of honour Emily came with me, and I had a solid vision in mind. The designer was chosen well before the wedding as I loved every Justin Alexander dress I'd seen,' she says. Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan with Emily Purcell and Cian O'Riordan. Pictures: 'The look was princess-like. I teamed my long ballgown-shaped dress with the tiara that Donagh proposed to me with — we didn't do rings because of preference. 'Donagh's suit, from Tom Murphy's, was light in colour, which he originally wouldn't have gone for, but once he tried it on, it suited him great.' Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: The couple opted for an intimate wedding. 'We wanted it to be low-key and to be very 'us',' says Ciara. 'We didn't want a traditional wedding. Everything went better than we could have expected. There were lots of tears during the ceremony, the food was amazing, and every single person who helped during the day was wonderful. There was a lot of love in the place.' Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: Both sets of parents, Anne and Stephen Purcell and Geraldine and Tadhg O'Riordan, had key roles, including chauffeur duties. 'Our parents drove us to the venue, but we left in Donagh's red MX5 — he fully restored the vintage car just in time for the wedding,' says Ciara. Bride Ciara Purcell with her maid of honour Emily Purcell. Pictures: The bride's sister Emily Purcell was the maid of honour and the groom's brother Cian O'Riordan was the best man. Elegance Florists devised the décor, and Ciara's sister Laura supplied a centrepiece and aisle flowers from her own garden. The bride's sister Sinead made the cake, and Donagh's sister Andrea baked cookies for the reception and the sweets table. Ciara Purcell with her dad Stephen Purcell. Pictures: The bridal hairstyling was by Dawn Monaher of Dawn HairyFairy with makeup by Allure. Photographer Dermot Sullivan was behind the lens. 'Dermot actually grew up next door to Ciara's father — we only found this out on the wedding day!' says Donagh. Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: DJ Bryan McDonnell 'read the room well', adds Ciara: 'He kept everyone coming back for more dancing! Our first dance was to The Carpenters' 'Close to You'. We had a dance rehearsed for the song with the help of a dance teacher, Niamh from Cork Dance Scene. We practised loads but ended up forgetting a chunk of it and improvising on the day. No one noticed!' Ciara Purcell and Donagh O'Riordan. Pictures: The newlyweds jetted off to Corfu for their honeymoon. 'We are there now and having a blast — the best holiday we've ever been on,' says the bride. The Ballintemple-based couple are currently in 'the long process of buying a house', adds Ciara. If you would like your wedding to be featured in Weekend email
Irish Daily Mirror
16-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cork hurling fan gets 'All-Ireland champions '25' tattoo' days before final
Let's face it - we're all counting on the Rebels to claim this year's Liam McCarthy Cup. However, perhaps nobody's quite as certain as this Cork gentleman, who's already had a tattoo inked celebrating an All-Ireland Senior Championship victory - nearly a week ahead of the final itself. Devoted hurling enthusiast Michael had the artwork completed without charge at Skint Tattoo Studio in Passage West on Tuesday. Proprietor Darragh Murphy explains it was purely "only for a laugh and a bit of craic" - and in the worst-case scenario, he can always modify it and "change a digit or two" for Cork's subsequent All-Ireland triumph. Darragh informed Cork Beo that Michael is a genuine Rebel devotee and acknowledges the tattoo might appear to many as 'a bit of a risk. ' Nevertheless, to be fair, he was planning to have it completed regardless - this simply adds some extra thrill. Naturally, like numerous Cork fans, Darragh also completely anticipates the Rebels emerging victorious at Croke Park this Sunday. The 'Cork Senior Hurling Champions' tattoo formed part of a flash promotion he was running to generate excitement for the final - though he wasn't certain anyone would be bold enough to go through with it. Speaking to Cork Beo, he revealed: "It's a real tattoo, yeah, I had a bunch of other flash tattoos going like of the Cork crest and the county outline and things like that. I said whoever wanted it could get it for free. I didn't know Michael, but he said he was going to get the same tattoo anyway if they won - might as well take the chance and get it now for free! "And if it's not this year, they're likely to win soon anyways." Darragh Murphy doing the tattoo at his home studio in Passage West (Image: Facebook) Darragh, who is still honing his skills in the tattoo industry, operates part-time from a home studio. He shared that the idea for the tattoo came from viral stories about football fans getting premature tattoos declaring their teams as champions before any actual victories. One of the most notorious instances involved a 29 year old from Swindon named Dan, who got an 'England Euro 2024 Winner' tattoo before England's final match against Spain. Despite spending two hours having the UEFA European Championship trophy inked on his leg and England's subsequent 2-1 defeat, he claimed to have no regrets and still cherished the tattoo. The tattoo of the Euro Cup with the words 'England Euro 2024 Winners (Image: Jack Wilkinson / PA) Darragh remarked: "At least this is better than most of those cases, because I waited until Cork were actually in the final so we do have a live chance. Of course, a tattoo still might be a little too far - I just did it for the craic." He also expressed a desire to boost local support: "I wanted to get more support out there. You see people from Cork out there with Man United or Liverpool tattoos, but no GAA tattoos. I kind of think those are the most important ones to have, Cork is your own team."
Irish Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tributes flow after sudden death of young mother who 'could light up any room'
The pub and hospitality trades in Cork are mourning the loss of Ciara O'Callaghan, the vibrant young general manager of Clancy's Bar, whose infectious smile and laughter could brighten up any room. Ciara, who was in her late 20s and from Ballincollig, passed away suddenly at Cork University Hospital on Thursday, a profound loss for her family, colleagues and many friends. As a mark of respect, Clancy's Bar was closed on Saturday, allowing staff to pay their respects to their dearly-departed colleague, reports Cork Beo. One colleague said: "Her smile and laugh could light up any room, and she brought so much warmth to everyone around her. "As our manager at Clancy's, her strength, guidance, and support meant the world to us. She led with her heart, not just in her work, but in who she was. Rest in peace, Ciara. You'll be deeply missed and always remembered." A heartfelt social media post on behalf of Clancy's Bar read: "We at Clancy's are deeply saddened at the sudden passing of our team member and GM Ciara O'Callaghan. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Ciara's family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew and loved her." Ms O'Callaghan, a mother to a young girl and one of five sisters, is survived by her parents, John and Susan, her daughter Milli, sisters, brothers-in-law Shane, Craigh, Colm and Jordan, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives, colleagues and friends. The family of Ciara have requested that attendees of the funeral wear bright-coloured outfits. She will be lying in repose at Crowley's Funeral Home, Ballincollig on Monday from 6.00pm with prayers at 7.00pm. A Requiem Mass will be held at 11.00am on Tuesday (July 15) in the Church of St Mary and St John, Ballincollig, followed by her funeral at St Oliver's Cemetery. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
