THE heartbroken boyfriend of fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra told her funeral today how she had a “special way of lighting up every room”.

Martha Nolan-O’Slattara, 33, was found dead on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club in the Hamptons on Long Island earlier this month after a business meeting with an insurance tycoon.

First responders raced to the Montauk Yacht Club on Long Island on Tuesday, August 5, after a man called 911 to report an unconscious woman on a boat.

The aspiring swimwear designer and founder of the brand East x East was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts at CPR were unsuccessful.

Martha had been living in Manhattan after relocating to New York in her mid-20s.

A preliminary investigation and exam of the scene last week was inconclusive and detectives said a post-mortem exam didn’t show evidence of any violence.

Martha’s family engaged with a top lawyer after her death in the US and it is understood that they sought a “second-opinion autopsy” before her body was repatriated to her native Co Carlow.

Her heartbroken mother Elma and sister Jacqui flew to New York to bring back Martha’s body after it was released by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.

This morning tragic Martha’s native Carlow came to a standstill after the Irish woman’s body was repatriated from New York.

Relatives told her funeral mass Martha was “taken too soon”.

Speaking in the Cathedral of the Assumption Church in Carlow this morning, Fr Thomas O’Byrne told how mourners had gathered “from so many parts to be here to support Martha’s family”.

Martha’s loving partner Nick told how Martha had a “special way of lighting up every room” she walked into.

He said: “Whether it was her signature, ‘hi!’ Or her famous hand gestures. One couldn’t help but feel her positive presence in every space she entered.

“Martha had a way of putting people she loved first. She loved helping people. And many of you in this room have been lucky enough to experience that love.

“Whether it was telling you to ‘cop on’ and focus on the good in this life, or just being a shoulder to lean on.

“The shining light that Martha brought into this world is a reflection of everybody in this room. Friends, family, loved ones, both past and present.

“We’ve all been lucky to have known Martha, and we must live every day forward with her in our hearts. May she rest in peace.”

SISTER’S EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE

In a heartbreaking tribute to her older sibling today, Martha’s sister Jacqui told how the bond they shared was “unique and unbreakable”.

She said: “Martha, my beautiful sister. You taught me everything I needed to know in life. I didn’t always see you, but I always knew you were there.

“Growing up with you was like having a built-in best friend. From sharing secrets to late night talks, we’ve been through it all together.

“Through thick and thin, a sister’s love is consistent. We know each other’s quirks, dreams, and fears. The bond between us sisters is unique and unbreakable.

“So here’s to the sisters, the ones who make life brighter, knows you best, and who love you the most.

“Cheers to the laughter, the tears, and the countless memories that were made. You will be in my heart forever, Martha.”

Members of Martha’s heartbroken family also read prayers of the faithful.

Breaking down in tears at the altar, one emotional family member sobbed: “We pray for Martha who was taken from us too soon.”

Another said: “We pray for Martha’s family. May they find strength and comfort in each other.”

A third family member thanked the emergency services and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust who assisted the family in bringing Martha’s body home.

The parish priest admitted Martha’s death on a New York yacht had left her reeling family “broken”.

Fr Thomas O’Byrne said: “There are so many who are asking, how will we get through this, each grieving, each broken. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. The Lord is close to you.”

‘SHORT, BUT PACKED LIFE’

He continued: “We are saddened by Martha’s death and we gather to support you with our love.

“May the soul of Martha be welcomed into eternal joy. Martha is with God. Martha has passed to a new reality.”

Renditions of Jealous of the Angels and the Parting Glass were played during the service.

Symbols of Martha’s life taken to the altar during the mass included a passport to symbolise her love of travel and an East x East piece, which marked the legacy left behind the young woman.

The family also brought up Irish and American flags, symbolising Martha’s friendships on both sides of the globe alongside a photograph of the beloved young woman, which acted as a “reflection of her inner and outer beauty”.

Also brought to the altar was St Martha’s prayer, which her mother Elma recites every Tuesday.

Fr O’Byrne said: “Symbols of Martha’s life. A short life but a packed life.”

The service heard how Martha’s loved ones were numb with grief.

FAMILY’S PAIN

Fr O’Byrne added: “There are so many who are asking, how will we get through this, each grieving, each broken. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. The Lord is close to you.

“The Lord is the one through which the Prophet Isaiah tells us, ‘I will grasp your hand. I will hold you. Fear not. The invitation is for each one of us to extend our hand to our Lord, to allow him to grasp us, to hold us. Here. I’m saying to us, I will never forget you. Each one of you are precious to me’.

“Martha is precious to me. Each one of you, your names are carved upon the palm of my hand. The Lord is saying. Martha’s name is carved upon the palm of God’s hand, carved in God’s very heart.

“Be assured that Martha is with God and God is with each one of us. God is with you.”

Martha’s family said the fashion guru will be “sadly missed” after she “passed away unexpectedly”.

In a statement, they said: “Martha will be sadly missed by her loving mother and her mother’s partner Patrick, sister, aunts, uncles, partner, her father Seamus and her siblings, her grandfather Jimmy Slattery, extended family, relatives and her large circle of friends in Ireland and the US.”

Martha was remembered as a “beloved daughter of Elma, much loved sister of Jacqui, treasured granddaughter of Betty and Liam, cherished niece of John, Michelle, Barry and Mona and adored partner of Nick.”

Martha’s coffin was later brought to her final resting place in St Mary’s Cemetery, Carlow.