A mother, whose 11-year old son died in violent circumstances after they had just emerged from a period of homelessness, has dedicated herself to helping others who are struggling with the loss of a child or living without a home of their own.

The mother of tragic schoolboy Brooklyn Colbert paid a heartbreaking tribute to her beloved “brown-eyed boy” at his funeral Mass in Limerick today.

A Limerick woman travelled to Cork with a pliers and de-tagger and went on to steal hundreds of euro worth of clothes from retail outlet River Island, as well as two vibrators from a lingerie store.