Mourners gathered at St Patrick's Church in Milltown, Co Cavan, on Saturday to say goodbye to author Nell Saffron Raven and her 10-year-old daughter Irena, known as Ira, who were killed in a two-car collision on Friday, July 24. The pair were buried together in a single wicker coffin, carried into the church to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", a favourite song of Nell and her husband Alexandru.
Nell, 53, a former journalist and acclaimed author, had recently become an Irish citizen after originally coming from the UK. She lived with her family, including Ira, in Gortnacleigh, Milltown in Belturbet. During the funeral, loved ones celebrated Nell's talent as a writer, her dedication as a mother and her triumph over cancer. Ira was remembered as a "kind, creative and joyful little girl" who loved music, Irish dancing and life in Co Cavan.
Fatal Collision
The fatal incident occurred on the R162 at Corclare, Sherlock. Nell died shortly after the crash, while Ira succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday afternoon, July 28, at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street Hospital. During the funeral Mass, mourners learned that Ira had posthumously given the gift of life to four children through organ donation.
A framed photograph of the mother and daughter was placed atop their coffin during the service. Among the chief mourners were Nell's husband Alexandru, her daughters Eveline Margalla Kemp and Violet Elizabeth Kemp, her parents Erik Raven and Christina Smith, and her sisters Daisy Raven and Poppy Sharrock.
Husband's Tribute
Struggling to contain his emotions, Alexandru told mourners he was "not a storyteller", but his wife had always been one. He recalled meeting Nell in Oxford in 2013 and watching their family grow. "When I met Nell, she already had two girls of her own, Eveline and Violet. They were very sweet kids, bright and gorgeous. It didn't take too long and soon after I became the fourth member of their family," he shared.
Alexandru revealed that in 2016, Ira was born at John Ratcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and described their blissful family life in Oxford and later near Southampton. Nell had expressed a desire to relocate to Ireland, believing it to be the ideal place for writers, and in 2019 the family took the ferry from the UK. "It was very hard at the beginning but when the pandemic started in March 2020, we fell in love with a very old cottage in Cavan," he said. "We didn't hesitate in buying it and we made it our new home and from there on, we had a very happy life together."
Paying tribute to Nell as a talented writer, dedicated mother and cancer survivor, Alexandru described Ira as a "kind, creative and joyful little girl who embraced music, Irish dancing and life" in Cavan. He added: "Is there any justice, or is there any meaning of what happened? I do not know. But perhaps, like in all stories, not just the beginning, or the middle, or the end but the whole story is all that matters." He concluded by reciting Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", a poem his wife had treasured.
Meaningful symbols were placed upon the altar, including a George Orwell book, Nell's greatest literary inspiration; Ira's beloved teddy "Ratty"; a vase containing dried flowers Alexandru had given Nell on Valentine's Day; and Ira's dancing shoes, which had secured her a spot on the iconic Irish TV programme The Late Late Toy Show.
Friend's Tribute
Ira's closest friend and classmate, Liam Connolly, recalled their cherished moments together. He told mourners about their attempts to construct a fort before hurling stones at it, water pistol battles, and sleepovers where they launched their teddies as high as possible. Liam also remembered their chess matches and how Ira hid the king piece outside "because she was fed up playing chess with me."
"Ira was one of my best friends and I will miss her a lot," Liam said. The coffin was carried from the church as Ira's beloved song "Hey Brother" by Avicii echoed throughout, and interment followed at Drumlane cemetery.
