Communities unite to remember Karen

THE first anniversary of the brutal murder of Karen Buckley was marked by special ceremonies in both Analeetha and in Scotland.

Father Joe O’Keeffe, who had been a pillar of strength to the Buckley family, celebrated the mas in Karen’s home parish church.

There was also a special memorial involving Karen’s former Glasgow Caledonian University friends and classmates held in Scotland.

Karen was on a night out in Glasgow on April 12 when she was abducted and killed by 21 year-old Alexander Pacteau. He is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Prior to the discovery of Karen’s body, her parents and brothers along with Fr O’Keeffe flew to Glasgow while the investigation took hold.

Karen’s remains were found on April 15 on a farmland north of the city and Mr Pacteau was later convicted of her murder. He was given a jail sentence of at least 23 years.

Karen studied at St Mary’s secondary school in Mallow before taking a nursing degree at the University of Limerick. She then moved to Essex in England to work and had been based at a hospital in Harlow.

Karen only moved to Scotland in January to prepare for her masters degree in occupational therapy at the Glasgow Caledonian University.

Karen is the youngest in the family with three older brothers, Kieran, Damian and Brendan.

When news broke that Karen was missing two of her brothers who were based in Australia boarded a plane and flew to Glasgow to be with and give support to their parents and each other.

The brutal murder of the very bubbly young woman touched the hearts of the people. A book of condolence was put in place at the town hall in Mallow where people of all ages and not just from the town of Mallow but from throughout the country composed themselves who offered words of comfort to the grieving family.

Karen was baptised in the small church of St Michael the Archangel and where she would be buried.

During the very moving funeral mass of Karen, Fr Joe O’Keeffe said that Karen’s death seems so totally inappropriate. “It violates our sense of order …24 years simply doesn’t seem like the right time to die – doesn’t seem to add up.” In the church at Analeetha, Karen’s cousin, Padraig Hurley described the offertory gifts which her three brothers had brought to the altar. Brendan brought up Karen’s first day at school and Kieran brought her nurse’s uniform and Damien took up the dress which she wore to Brendan’s wedding.

Karen was laid to rest alongside her grandparents a few miles along the road in Burnfort cemetery.