Former Rose of Tralee contestant laid to rest beside her sister

They came with roses to say farewell to a young woman who had bloomed and touched many hearts during her all too short but happy lifetime.

Mourners of all ages wept softly as Dorothy (Dott) Moriarty Henggeler was laid to rest in her mother’s hometown, Killarney, Co Kerry, yesterday.

She had been the 2011 Rose of Tralee contestant for Washington DC and would have celebrated her 28th birthday on Thursday — just a week after she died from a brain tumour at the family home in Baltimore in the US.

In a striking tribute, the 18 Roses who had met Dorothy three years ago in Tralee wore purple, the colour to mark brain cancer awareness. Each one carried a red rose as they formed a guard of honour with black-suited escorts when the coffin was being shouldered from St Mary’s Cathedral to the strains of ‘The Rose of Tralee.’

Amongst them was the 2011 Rose of Tralee Tara Talbot, who represented Queensland, Australia, and Dorothy’s escort Barry Donnelly, who movingly carried a single red rose to the altar.

In a homily during a concelebrated funeral Mass, Fr Kieran O’Brien spoke of the “unimaginable grief” of her distraught parents, Dick and Eibhlín, who had lost a second child.

Thirty years ago, their two and a half-year-old daughter, Treasa, died from meningitis and Dorothy — described by her parents as a gift from God — was laid to rest beside her sister in Aghadoe Cemetery, overlooking the fabled Lakes of Killarney.

Dick Henggeler told mourners how he and Eibhlín had prayed for another daughter after the death of Treasa while on holiday in Killarney.

Their prayers were answered and, for the past five months, they had been on Dorothy’s final journey to heaven where he was sure she had now been reunited with Treasa and they both would look over the family.

“The joy and love she has given us has been immeasurable. Over time, Eibhlín and I slowly realised that Dorothy was also a gift to so many others,” he said.

“She made friends feel like family and she made family feel so special and since her illness we’ve come to know just how many people were deeply touched by her.’’

Mr Henggeler said his daughter had loved America but loved Ireland and the Irish even more, and thoroughly enjoyed her regular visits to Killarney where she had many friends and close relatives.

The Hengglers also have a son, Franz.

Eibhlín sang the ‘Ár nAthair’ during the Mass for her daughter as she had done for her during her illness.

Symbols representing her life were handed up and included her christening robe and First Communion dress, a black and amber jersey from Dr Crokes GAA club in Killarney, and the colours of Baltimore Ravens, of which she was also a fan.

Rose of Tralee presenter Dáithí Ó Sé and his wife, Rita, attended the removal on Thursday evening.