A young Scottish student who lost her life in a devastating car crash in Ireland that claimed the lives of four of her friends has been laid to rest in an emotional ceremony near Glasgow.
A Community in Mourning
Mourners gathered in solemn tribute as a white horse-drawn carriage carried the coffin of 21-year-old Chloe Hipson to Daldowie crematorium. The service, which was livestreamed for those unable to attend, saw the hall filled with friends and family paying their final respects.
Ms Hipson died alongside four friends on Saturday, November 15, when the Volkswagen Golf they were travelling in was involved in a collision with another car near Dundalk, County Louth. The group had been on their way to a night out.
Remembering the Lives Lost
The tragic incident claimed five young lives in total. Alongside Chloe Hipson from Bellshill in North Lanarkshire, the victims were: Chloe McGee, 23, and Shay Duffy, 21, both from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan; Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath, Co Meath; and Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee, Co Louth. A sixth person, a man in his 20s, sustained injuries.
Ms Hipson had been studying quantity surveying at Dundalk Institute of Technology and had made Ireland her home. Friends and family successfully raised over £30,000 to repatriate her body to Scotland following the tragedy.
A Life Celebrated and Cherished
Conducting the service, Rev Peter Davidge spoke of a young woman who was "flourishing" in Ireland. He painted a picture of a vibrant and determined individual, recalling her early passion for football where she played with Hamilton Accies as a girl in "pink boots and sparkly hair bows".
After leaving Bellshill Academy and working, she pursued her studies at South Lanarkshire College before moving to County Monaghan in April of this year, taking her dog Poppy with her. "She fell in love with Ireland and quickly made friends," Rev Davidge said. "She was thriving and she was happy, and she was not scared to try out new things."
In a heartbreaking revelation, the minister shared that Ms Hipson's partner, AJ, had been planning to propose on Christmas Eve, having already sought permission from her father and brother.
The ceremony featured pictures and video clips from Chloe's life, and a poem written by her friends in Ireland was read aloud. As the song 'Jealous Of The Angels' played, curtains were drawn on her white coffin, which was adorned with flowers.
Rev Davidge also paid tribute to the other victims, stating: "She, as you know, lost her life so absolutely tragically alongside some other wonderful young people - her pals Alan, Chloe, Shay and Dylan. We, today here in Scotland, think of all their families."
Funerals for the other four young people killed in the collision have already taken place in Ireland. The community on both sides of the Irish Sea continues to grapple with the profound loss of five promising lives cut short.
