Father of tragic young Drogheda footballer says daughter was "exuberant girl" who "lived life to the fullest."

The devastated father of a young Drogheda girl who tragically died after collapsing during a football game last week told a packed church at her funeral mass how his daughter was a "bright and exuberant" girl who "lived life to the fullest."

Brian Murphy's heart wrenching speech received huge applause from the congregation at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Drogheda as he paid tribute to his thirteen year old daughter, Zara who tragically passed away last Thursday having fallen ill while playing for the Termonfeckin Celtic FC under-14 team in a match against Glen Magic last Thursday as part of the Louth School Girls League.

Brian who works with Meath Co Council and is well known in the Louth soccer community said Zara was a "strong willed exuberant girl and gave everything she took up "200 percent commitment."

He also told mourners that his wife, Angela and son Ben were "utterly devastated" and their world had been turned "upside down."

"Zara was "our amazing, beautiful, loving daughter," said Brian.

"Angela, Ben and I loved her so much, we are utterly heartbroken and our world has been turned upside down," he added.

"Zara loved life and lived every day to the fullest, everybody she seemed to meet, loved her back too. Zara was a strong willed, sassy, funny exuberant girl, she gave everything she took up 200 percent commitment.

"She loved sport especially football, soccer and gymnastics. She was determined she would make it at one of them. Her major ambition was to be bigger and better than Katie McCabe."

Her grieving dad told the congregation while she was never going to be big in height her passion, drive and will power made her the baller she was.

"Zara loved her friendships particularly her closest ones, she was always talking of new friends, I used to find it hard to keep up but over the last couple of days those friendships are what has helped us through this difficult period," Brian told mourners.

"I know Zara's drive has rubbed off on her team mates because she didn't give them much choice, you had to get on the same page as her!"

The chair of the Louth Branch of the Irish Referee's Society, Brian urged those who knew and loved Zara to use her lust for life to achieve great things in her memory.

"As I said, Zara ain't big and Angela, Ben and I hope some of you will make it for her. Be it playing county or for Ireland or just being your best self, we know Zara will be looking over you.

"Zara you are one in a million, shine bright sweetheart."

Symbols of her life including a football, a captain's armband, a jersey and a winning shield were all offered by various clubs she was involved with to represent her passion for sport.

Earlier parish Parish Priest of St Peter’s Fr Eugene Sweeney spoke of the "sense of shock and devastation" and the sudden and "cruel passing of Zara at such a tender age" and described how the Ballymackenny College student had been "so unfairly snatched."

Fr Sweeney pointed out how Zara who was heartbreakingly laid out in her confirmation outfit was in the same church just three months earlier for the happy event.

"Less than three months ago Zara was in the same church with St Oliver's National School for her confirmation day of great joy, who could have thought that in such a short period, we'd be back here in such sorrow," he said.