Cork woman who died after marathon made people feel special, father tells mourners

Ellen Cassidy, a 24-year-old swimmer and cybersecurity graduate, is remembered for her warmth, wit, and life lived with purpose

The funeral mass for Ellen Cassidy at The Church of the Annunciation, Blackpool in Cork today where people wore colourful outfits, many clutching freshly cut sunflowers, roses, and carnations, to celebrate her life and say goodbye. Picture: Larry Cummins

The young woman who died after running the Cork City Marathon at the weekend didn’t lead with her elbows, but with open arms, her heartbroken father said.

“That made her stand out, that made her special and made everyone that came into contact with her feel special,” Ellen Cassidy’s father, Tom, told mourners at her 'goodbye mass' in Blackpool on Thursday.