Funeral of Blanchardstown hit-and-run couple hears 'life and soul' of family 'will never be separated'
Family members paid tribute to Anthony Hogg (40) and his wife Georgina Hogg Moore (39) at their funeral today
The funeral of a couple killed in an alleged St Stephens Day hit-and-run has heard they were the “life and soul” of the family.
Anthony Hogg (40) and his wife Georgina Hogg Moore (39) died after they were struck while crossing a road near Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in West Dublin at around 5:45pm on St Stephen's Day.
Today devastated family members - including the couple’s children Ryan and Becky-Joy gathered at a packed out funeral service in the Church of St Philip the Apostle in Mountainview.
In a heartbreaking eulogy following the ceremony Anthony’s sister Emma told those gathered of their childhood together - and how the couple were the life and soul of the entire family.
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Calling ‘Anto’ her “littlest big bro”, Emma described her fond memories of living with him in Kilbarrack flats as young kids - where they played hide and seek and messed with one another.
She told how her brother got their mother “hooked” on his Sega Megadrive that they got for Christmas - and how he used to steal wheels off her dolls pram to make his own Go Karts from scratch.
Anto, she said, got top grades in his Junior Cert and successfully convinced their parents to let him leave school - where he then took up a job as a barman and “honoury bingo caller” - a job that saw him ultimately meet his future wife.
“That’s where Anto and Gina’s eyes locked and the rest was history,” Emma said.They have two beautiful children - Ryan and a beautiful daughter Becky Joy. And not forgetting Ben and Kai. Anto was a Dad and husband and a joy to behold. He was loving, selfless, hardworking, respectful, yet a joker. Could be quite witty even though he barely smiled. Even a photo - that was like goldust when he did crack a smile. Both Anto and Georgina were the life and soul of our family,” she said.
Going on to describe the couple’s “big dreams and ambitions,” Emma told how the couple went on trips to Spain, Paris and San Francisco - and how loving family members and friends often helped pay for their drinks and snacks when they went on date nights.
“They were pretty cheap though thanks to the Whatsapp family chats giving us their table numbers in Weatherspoons, us gladly sending on shots and bowls of peas,” Emma said.
“They were always lucky with their scratch cards and Georgina with her bingo. All I’m saying is I hope they send us some luck, look down on us all from time to time. What can I say, we’re gonna really miss you, but don’t be a stranger, give us the number of your table and send us your location so we can pass you on something nice,” she said.
Also paying tribute in a lengthy and emotional eulogy was Georgina’s uncle Michael - who told how the couple were inseparable and how Anto was able to effectively balance work with family.
“Myself and Emma and Becky, we spent yesterday afternoon making loads of notes about how best to talk about this - and after two hours and cups of teas we decided you know what, say it like it is, speak from the heart. So no notes, I’m just going to talk about two gorgeous beautiful people who were taken from us so horribly," he said.
“Georgina has been my niece obviously since birth and for the hundreds of people here and the hundreds of people outside who’ve known her, was an extremely precious and special person - but never look for a compliment. In all the years I would come home and visit her, she would let me know I looked fat, baldy, and I certainly could never get a good ego from Georgina,” he said.
“But I tell you what I did get, I got a lot of love, a lot of honesty. So when asked to do this, I spoke to a lot of her friends, family and I said could you all give me one word that would define Georgina. I knew stubborn was one of them, I knew obstinate, opinionated, I knew all those ones. Everyone of them also had words that I also knew - loving, caring, loyal and honest to a fault. So that was Georgina and she was obviously supremely loved because of who she was.”
Michael said it was impossible to not talk about Anto when discussing Georgina - describing how the pair could never be separated.
“Anto and Georgina have been together for so long now. I remember the time I got introduced to Anto and I was told they're gonna make it, they’re an item and for any one of us who have married into what is the Moore Tennison family, I felt bad for him. Anyone that knows the girls in our family, he had his work cut out. But as the years went by and I seen the amazing, two different - so different people. One was Georgina - Anto, a brilliant young man, an amazing work ethic, ambitious, wanted everything that's best for his entire family and everyone he knew.
“When I came home he gave me the honour of wanting me to advise him of the best things to do in business. But Anto knew how to do it all well. So it went from me being very sorry for him, I went very envious of him because I knew I could do a couple of things good but I couldn’t do everything good. But Anto made it all seem so easy,” he continued.
Michael told how the funeral service was being streamed around the world to loved ones in Australia and the US - and how the couple were clearly loved by so many. “For me to get to know Anto - it’s Georgina and Anto, as I say, I can’t separate them - and ironically they’ll never be separated.
“Today we’re all hurting today of course, but wow, as I look down here, wouldn’t anybody want to have this many people who loved them?” he said.
During the funeral a wedding photo of the tragic couple sat between both coffins while individual photos of both deceased were also placed on their own coffins - which sat side by side in front of the family.
Several gifts were brought up to the altar representing Anto and Georgina’s lives - including cherished family photos, a handbag and bottle of 7 Up.
The song ‘Jealous of the Angels’ was played during the ceremony as several family members hugged well-wishers. A celebration of their life is due to take place at a cremation service in the Dardistown Crematorium later this afternoon.
A death notice on RIP.ie said that Georgina and Anto died tragically and are the “cherished mother and father of Ryan and Becky-Joy, beloved children of Valerie, Jackie and the late George and Paul and dear brother and sister of Peter, Caitriona, Julie, Emma, Damo, Yvonne, Jen, Katie, Paulie, Ross, Arron and Kirstie. Sadly missed by their loving families, relatives, friends and Ben and Kai.”
The family had asked anyone attending the Funeral to “wear bright colours to reflect both Anto and Georgina’s personalities.”
It comes as John Halpin (45) of Whitestown Avenue in Blanchardstown appeared in court charged in connection with the incident.
Nearly €30,000 had been donated by almost 1,000 people towards a €40,000 GoFundme "Ryan & Becky’s Future" for the couple's children. The appeal states: "This GoFundMe has been created to help provide for Ryan and Becky’s future, ensuring they have the care, resources, and opportunities their parents would have wanted for them.
"While nothing can replace the love and presence of Georgina and Anto, we hope to ease the financial burden and create a foundation for their children to thrive."
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