On Saturday morning, Nell and Ira's shared wicker coffin was carried into St Patrick's Church, Milltown, to Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', a cherished song of Nell and her husband Alex. A framed picture of the mother and daughter rested atop their coffin.
Co Cavan crash victims remembered
Nell, 53, and Ira, 10, from Gortnacleigh, Milltown in Belturbet, Co Cavan, were killed in a two-vehicle collision on Friday, July 24. The crash occurred on the R162 at Corclare, Sherlock. Ms Raven was pronounced dead shortly after the incident, while Ira passed away on Tuesday afternoon, July 28, at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street Hospital.
Originally from the UK, Ms Raven had recently obtained Irish citizenship. At the funeral Mass, mourners heard that Ira bestowed the gift of life to four children through organ donation.
Husband pays tribute
Among the chief mourners were Nell's husband Alexandru, daughters Eveline Margalla Kemp and Violet Elizabeth Kemp, parents Erik Raven and Christina Smith, and Nell's sisters Daisy Raven and Poppy Sharrock. Battling his emotions, Alexandru told mourners that while he was "not a storyteller", his wife had always possessed that gift.
He recalled meeting Nell in Oxford in 2013 and how their family grew. "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 said.
New life in Cavan countryside
He recounted how Ira arrived in 2016 at John Ratcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and spoke of their contented family life in Oxford and later near Southampton, until Nell expressed her desire to relocate to Ireland, telling him "Ireland is the best place for writers." The family took the ferry from Britain in 2019 and moved to Ireland.
"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. 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," he said.
Tributes and memories of Ira
Alexandru honoured Nell as a talented writer, dedicated mother and cancer survivor, and described Ira as a "kind, creative and joyful little girl who embraced music, Irish dancing and life" in Cavan. He questioned: "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 poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", a poem his wife had held dear.
At the altar, items representing both Nell and Ira were placed: a book by George Orwell, Nell's most beloved author, alongside Ira's treasured teddy 'Ratty', her comfort toy and favourite possession. Also present were a vase of dried flowers Alex had given Nell on Valentine's Day, and Ira's dancing shoes, which had earned her a coveted spot on the Late Late Toy Show.
Ira's closest friend and classmate, Liam Connolly, recalled cherished moments from their friendship, from attempting to build a fort together only to demolish it with stones, to drenching one another with water pistols and hurling their teddies skyward during a sleepover. He also recounted a chess match during which 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 told mourners.
The coffin was carried from the church to the sound of Ira's beloved track, 'Hey Brother' by Avicii. Burial followed at Drumlane cemetery.
