Jim Carrey carries coffin at Cathriona White's funeral

Updated

Jim Carrey twice carried the coffin at his ex-girlfriend's funeral as she was taken to her final resting place beside her late father.

Cathriona White, remembered as a loving daddy's girl who wanted the world to be a better place, was found in her Los Angeles home late last month after a suspected suicide.

Carrey dated the 30-year-old make-up artist for a while in 2012 and they were pictured hand in hand in New York earlier this year.

The Hollywood star fought back tears and walked with his arms around Ms White's sister Lisa as hundreds of family and friends gathered to mourn her death at the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in the village of Cappawhite, Co Tipperary in Ireland.

Ms White's stepsister Sarah gave a moving eulogy in which she said love was the only word she needed to remember her.

She said it was a constant in her life.

Sarah also recalled her passion for photography and her passion for documenting the lives of the homeless in LA.

"Anyone who saw her lurking around LA with a camera trying to capture the poor conditions in which the homeless were forced to live will know not just her love and talent for photography but also her desire for the world to be a better place, because she was in it, and it was," she said.

Ms White was remembered as family centred and a vocal fan of hurling.

"Cathriona had such an amazing capacity to love and to be loved," Sarah said.

She said losing both her stepfather and stepsister within a few years was unimaginably difficult.

But she added: "We can take some comfort in the knowledge that Cathriona and Pat are together again. She is at peace.

"We need to find comfort for each other. There is no easy fix for grief. Particularly when we have lost somebody so young with so much left to give.

"But to paraphrase the song 'Oh, the sharp knife of a short life, send me away with the words of a lovesong'."

Sarah added that she finds it hard to imagine life after her stepsister's death.

"Thankfully, love is not as fickle and unpredictable as life is. As long as you are loved, you are here. You are so loved," she said.

She closed the eulogy recalling the words of American poet and writer EE Cummings: "I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart."

Carrey was among six men who acted as pallbearers as they left the small church and led the mourners on the 500m walk to the cemetery on a hill on the edge of the village.

Ms White's late father Pat was buried there three years ago.

Carrey described her death as like being "hit with a lightning bolt" and one of those who travelled with the movie star to the funeral stressed he was "here to grieve".

Ms White had moved to Los Angeles in 2009 and took roles as an extra on television before working behind the scenes.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is leading the investigation into her death.

Fr Tadhg Furlong, parish priest, said Ms White's family and friends are faced with a life cut short, a vision not fulfilled, a dream not realised.

"Cathriona's approach to life was to take on, to challenge the county, the country, the world," the priest told mourners.

"You remember the outgoing personality - the strong-willed, determined character."

Fr Furlong added: "Cathriona was a light to so many. Something of the light has gone out. Yet much remains.

"The light continues to shine. The light of love lives on; the love you had for Cathriona; the love she had for you."

A number of gifts were presented at the service including a sports jersey and football to signify Ms White's love of Gaelic games, family photos and make-up brushes.

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