The priest who presided at the funeral of Caitríona Innes and her daughter, Caitlin, yesterday pleaded for greater effort from health services and the community in helping identify those suffering from depression.
Fr Ramon Munster told almost 1,000 mourners in Bundoran, Co Donegal: "We must try our utmost to recognise and help those who live with problems, especially problems of depression."
Caitríona (26) and seven-year-old Caitlin were found dead in their rented home in Letterkenny last Tuesday. They were buried side-by-side yesterday.
Mourners packed the tiny Church of the Immaculate Conception in Caitríona's native Bundoran for a requiem Mass, prior to the burials at nearby St Ninnidh's Cemetery.
Fr Munster, a family friend who presided at the Mass, met the cortege along with his curate Fr Frank McManus on its arrival at the church door. The bodies were driven more than two miles from the Tullaghan, Co Leitrim, home of Caitríona's mother Winnie. Shops in Bundoran were shuttered as the cortege passed silently by.
A number of priests joined Fr Munster on the altar and there were many local politicians and other dignitaries among the mourners.
Also among the mourners were old schoolmates who had attended Magh Ene College with Caitríona, as well as staff from a number of hotels in the seaside resort where Caitríona once worked before she moved four years ago to Letterkenny.
Other recent workmates from McNutt's in Downings were also there, as were old Army colleagues of Caitríona's father Greg from Finner Camp.
Local vocalist Marion Fitzgerald sang Christ Be Our Light as Caitlin's white coffin and Caitriona's pine casket were carried into the church.
It was just a week since Caitlin's First Communion last Saturday - an event recalled by Fr Munster. He noted that her communion day was a day of joy. On Sunday, mother and daughter were still smiling when Caitlin was treated to an outing at the amusements in Bundoran.
The priest said: "Caitríona had everything going for her. She was always smiling on the outside but underneath we never know what is going on."
He extended the sympathy of the community to Caitríona's parents and to her brothers Tommy and Greg jnr and sisters Amanda, Trish and Charlene.