Tributes to ‘free spirit’ backpacker Danielle, 28
Family and friends celebrate the life of woman tourist murdered in India
MURDERED Scots backpacker Danielle McLaughlin was given a colourful farewell as she was laid to rest in her Irish home town yesterday.
Mourners dressed in vivid clothes – many with garlands of flowers in their hair – in tribute to the “vibrant” 28-year-old, who was killed in Goa on March 14.
During a service at St Mary’s Church in Cockhill, County Donegal, Father Francis Bradley described Danielle as a “beautiful daughter, a cherished granddaughter, a thoughtful sister, a loyal friend, a free spirit, a remarkable classmate, a gentle neighbour – the little girl who became the lovely woman”.
Friends of Danielle travelled from Scotland, Australia and New Zealand to attend the funeral.
Father Bradley, who conducted the requiem mass, added: “She was disarmingly kind and forgiving. Her warm nature and open heart drew people into her everwidening, extensive and international circle of friends. The vast array of messages for Danielle’s mother Andrea, her family and friends show the immense esteem in which she was held.
“Danielle was like a gem which caught the light and reflected it in all its beauty around her.”
Danielle, originally from Glasgow, had been staying in a beach hut in Goa with an Australian female friend. The pair had been celebrating Holi, a Hindu festival, in a nearby village.
Danielle was found dead in a field in Canacona. A post-mortem concluded that brain damage and constriction of the neck caused her death.
A man, 24, appeared in court two weeks ago charged with murder. He will also face rape charges.