Fr Gaffney continued: “Life is God’s greatest treasure, but it’s very fragile. When a young life like Michaela’s is taken, it feels as though our very future has been stolen.
“So many plans, expectations instantly gone. No mother, grandmother expects to bury their child. It disrupts the rhythm of the world.
“Michaela made a lasting impression on so many people, leaving behind a legacy full of love and treasured memories.
“Her world truly revolved around her nanny and grandad, whom she moved in with when she was just three years old. From that very day, they formed a formidable, unbreakable bond.
“Her nanny became her best friend, and she happened to care in the world telling anyone. And her grandad became her personal chauffeur, alongside the countless other roles he filled so lovingly in her life, and even though she lived with her nanny and granddad.
“Michaela loved her mammy and daddy beyond measure, and she always made sure that they knew that. As one of the symbols brought forward as a family photo, family meant everything to her. Her brothers and little sister were always her number one priority.
“Her firstborn nephew Ronnie, the absolute aper of her eye, and though she never got to meet his little brother Oscar, we know that he would have been met with the same deep adoration.
“Her friends were her world, always by her side, she loved the simple things in life: going out to dinner with them, grabbing a takeaway to bring home to share with her grandad.
“And we all know that Michaela was particularly fussy about certain things. And when she brought Mark home for the first time to meet her nanny and granddad, they knew that this guy must be something special.
“They truly cherished the time they spent together, and he treated her like a princess. She lived life to the full. She loved shopping and travelling.
“If something was in fashion, she began saving for it, or ringing her poor auntie Anne to see if a small sub was possible until payday.
“She was a loyal and hard worker, but managing finance wasn’t her strong point. But she took immense pride in how she looked, always sporting the latest trends: her hair, her nails, makeup.
“No matter how much it cost her aunt, as she was, as soon as she was old enough to holiday alone, there was no stopping her. She even moved to Spain to work, but realised she was too much of a home bird, and she had to come back.
“No matter the job, she worked hard, even if her timekeeping wasn’t always spot on either. She simply loved having chats and banter with those she met. Someone said she took some of her traits from her nanny.
“She loved to sing and dance and I believe there’s plenty of TikToks, videos and countless videos of Michaela and Mark together.
“She was strong-minded, never shy to tell it exactly as it was and we know the world is a little less bright without her.”