Mourners at the funeral of Chloe Ferris have been urged to “live the life we have to the full” in honour of the west Belfast woman who died at a city centre nightclub.
Hundreds packed into St Paul’s Church on the Falls Road on Thursday for Requiem Mass in memory of the popular beautician, who would have turned 25 this week.
Chloe fell unconscious alongside another young woman at Lux nightclub in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter in the early hours of Sunday, and died upon arrival of emergency services to the Dunbar Street venue.
A post-mortem examination has been carried out but it is understood police inquiries are continuing to determine the cause of death.
The other young woman remains in hospital.
Police investigating Chloe’s death have arrested two men aged in their 20s on suspicion of drugs-related offences, and they have since been released on bail.
At the funeral service, a testimony from Chloe’s parents Sharon and Declan was read to mourners, in which they joyously celebrated ‘Miss Chloe’ and remembered her love of her family and her many friends, including her core group of close-knit pals known as the ‘Sister Squad’.
“She was so generous to all her friends, and the people she met throughout her life,” her parents said in the testimony of their beloved daughter, who was a former pupil of St Claire’s Primary School and St Louise’s College.
“She never missed a day, and to this day, both have never forgotten her. It was there she met and became part of the Sister Squad - a group of fine, beautiful, well-mannered young women, whose parents will be so proud of them.”
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The moving reading described Chloe’s love of holidaying with family and friends, and how her beauty business, which was based in Newtownabbey, had “flourished”.
The testament added: “When we see the amount of people paying respects for her short life, we are just amazed by the amount of love that has been shown over these last few days.”
Following the testimony, priest Fr Darren Brennan called on mourners - particularly her friends and peers - to celebrate Chloe by mirroring her love of life.
He said Chloe’s life had been “filled to the brim with activity, with using her gifts, her talents, and sharing them generously”.
“To the Sister Squad, and all of you who loved Chloe as friends...today is a sad day, today is a day of tears...but tears and sadness are not what’s going to honour Chloe’s legacy in this world,” Fr Brennan said.
“In honour of Chloe, each one of us today should make a firm decision, a resolution, to live the life we have to the full, defined with love, to use our gifts and talents. To take risks, and go the extra mile, and reach out to those in need and to do it in her name, and in that way her legacy will burn like a bright torch in this dark world for many, many years to come.”