Mourners remember ‘perfect’ young student who died in crash in Ireland

A young Scottish student who died in a crash in Ireland which claimed five lives has been remembered as the “most perfect” member of her family, who was “thriving” while living abroad.

Mourners gathered on Tuesday to remember Chloe Hipson, 21, who was from Bellshill in North Lanarkshire and had been studying at the Dundalk Institute of Technology.

The crash took place on the night of Saturday November 15.

The friends were on their way to a night out in Dundalk, County Louth, when the Volkswagen Golf they were in collided with another car.

As well as Ms Hipson, those killed were: Chloe McGee, 23, and Shay Duffy, 21, both from Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan; Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath in Co Meath; and Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee in Co Louth.

A sixth person who was in the car, a man in his 20s, was injured in the crash

A funeral service to remember Ms Hipson was held at Daldowie crematorium near Glasgow.

Friends and family had raised more than £30,000 to repatriate her body to Scotland.

Mourners filled the hall after her white coffin was brought into the crematorium, with the service being livestreamed.

The coffin, adorned with flowers, arrived in a white horse-drawn carriage.

Conducting the service, Rev Peter Davidge said Ms Hipson had made Ireland her home and she was “flourishing” there.

Remembering her early life, he said she took to football and played with Hamilton Accies as a young girl, wearing “pink boots and sparkly hair bows”.

After leaving Bellshill Academy, she went into work and later began to study quantity surveying at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride.

Rev Davidge said: “She had a very strong work ethic, which I think was a defining thing about Chloe – she’d try anything.”

She travelled frequently and was in Seville for Rangers’ Europa League final in 2022.

Ms Hipson moved to County Monaghan in April this year and took her dog, lhasa apso Poppy, with her.

Rev Davidge said she “fell in love” with Ireland and quickly made friends.

He said: “She was thriving and she was happy, and she was not scared to try out new things.”

He continued: “I think everyone spoke of Chloe as the most perfect person in the family.

“She never argued with anyone, she just got on with life.”

Her partner AJ had been planning to propose to her on Christmas Eve, he said, having sought permission from her father and brother.

Rev Davidge continued: “She, as you know, lost her life so absolutely tragically alongside some other wonderful young people – her pals Alan, Chloe, Shay and Dylan.

“We, today here in Scotland, think of all their families. And of those beautiful young people.”

Mourners were shown pictures and video clips of Ms Hipson’s life.

Rev Davidge also read a poem titled Chloe, written by some of her friends in Ireland.

The song Jealous Of The Angels was played as curtains were drawn on her coffin.

Giving a prayer, Rev Davidge said: “We think of Chloe – for always perfect, for always 21, for always just a lovely person.”

Funerals for the other victims of the crash have taken place in Ireland.