Lurgan mourns young girl
The rector of Shankill Parish, Lurgan, has described young Bethany Cousins, who died in a tragic accident on Sunday 15 July, as “a VIP”.
Speaking at her funeral yesterday, Revd Geoff Wilson recounted how Bethany had received a special gift on her 11th birthday last month – VIP tickets to see her pop idol Jessie J in the Odyssey Arena next March.
“Beth Cousins was a Very Important Person to her mum Ruth and to her dad Alastair,” he said, “and she was very important to each and every one of us here today, whether she was a sister or grand–daughter, whether we knew Beth through King’s Park School, through GB, through the ladies hockey team here in Lurgan, through Sunday School or a neighbour or friend, Beth Cousins was a VIP.”
Revd Wilson comforted the mourners, expressing his confidence that Beth was, “receiving VIP treatment in heaven today in the presence of the King of Kings”.
Bethany, from the Wood Lane area of Lurgan, died after getting into difficulty in a dangerous stretch of water near Portballintrae. Her father, a firefighter, tried to rescue her but she was eventually pulled from the water by the Coastguard and could not be resuscitated.
A keen member of the High Street Methodist Girls Brigade, Bethany was due to start at Lurgan High School in September. She is survived by her parents and two brothers.