MOURNERS at the funeral of Amy Doherty have been told she had a âmagnetic personalityâ and âwould draw people to her by her joyful smileâ.
The 28-year-old mother was found badly injured by police on Saturday and died later in hospital.
A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Amyâs funeral mass took place at Holy Family Church in Ballymagroarty, Derry today, with hundreds lining the pavements and gathering at the doors of the church as they said a final goodbye to the beloved mum of two.
Amyâs heartbroken colleagues from NW Care formed a guard of honour in memory of the âdedicatedâ care worker.
Parish priest Fr Joe Gormley told the congregation it was âa very sad day for the family of Amy Doherty, a very sad day for our parish and cityâ.
He said mourners would be thinking of Rhea and Ronan, Ms Dohertyâs two children, and would be trying to âmake sense of the events of last Saturdayâ.
Amyâs friend, Jasmine, read a poem about her which described her as âthe laughter in the daylightâ and âthe warmth of every roomâ.
It read: âAmyâs more than just a moment, she is more than words can ever say. Amy, your family, children, and friends will miss you every day.
âTwo little hearts now broken. As their soft little voices softly call
âFor arms that should still be holding them. But are no longer there at all.â
Fr Gormley said March 21 is a day where, for the first time in six months, âthe time of light in our days exceeds the time of darknessâ, but âthe death of Amy brought a darkness, a sadness, anguish deeper than any lack of daylightâ.
He said: âThe darkness is, in a sense, deeply intensified when we hear the human story of the beauty of who Amy Doherty is.
âAmy is a person who has a magnetic personality who would draw people to her by her joyful smile.â
He described her as a âdedicated care workerâ who lifted the spirits of patients at Altnagelvin Hospital, in Derry, during the pandemic.
He told mourners: âSheâd always try and find fun, find humour, particularly in those dark days when people were very afraid.â
Fr Gormley described how Amy helped people set up video calls and encouraged patients to connect with people outside and enabled âthose who maybe hadnât connected with others for a long time, to begin to do so, and to use the opportunity of Covid to do thatâ.
However, he said, the âheart of her careâ was her two children, who âare the centre of our thoughts and prayers today and beyondâ.
Amy is survived by her parents, Patrick and Sharon, and her younger brothers, Shane and Ryan.
On Wednesday the PSNI said the man who was arrested was receiving medical treatment and was not fit for police interview.
According to Womenâs Aid, Amy was the 30th woman in Northern Ireland to have been killed since 2020.
Fr Gormley said âa new cultureâ needed to be built âin the city and society and beyondâ where âwomen are honoured, loved and cherished in the same way as Jesus loved, honoured and cherished women who knew he could depend on them when he couldnât depend even on the disciplesâ.
