American mother Jamey Carney was honored at her funeral as a loving, fiercely devoted parent who had created a joyful new chapter in Ireland before her life was brutally ended.
Carney, 43, originally from New York, relocated to Ireland in 2021 with her teenage daughter. Last week, she was found beaten and suffocated inside her home in Killarney, County Kerry.
According to Irish media reports, a Jordanian man who had been living in Ireland after an unsuccessful asylum claim and was romantically linked to Carney was detained in Jordan in connection with the investigation after allegedly leaving Ireland through Istanbul following her death.
Family, friends and members of the local community filled St. Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney for a funeral service dedicated to celebrating Carney’s life. The ceremony was also streamed online so loved ones overseas could take part in the farewell ahead of a private cremation.
“Today we don’t dwell on Jamey’s death, but we dwell on her life,” Fr. Kieran O’Brien told those gathered in the cathedral.
In his remarks, O’Brien spoke warmly about Carney’s early years in New York with her sister, Devon, before turning to the “big decision” she made to begin again in Killarney — a move he said became “the best decision of her life.”
He said Carney and her daughter, Michaela, had embraced Ireland as home, with Michaela settling into school life and throwing herself into Irish sports.
The priest remembered Carney as someone whose “joy radiated” to the people around her. After arriving in Killarney, he said, she formed a tight-knit group of friends and found happiness in everyday pleasures, from country music and travel to shopping trips, concerts and time spent with those she loved.
“She was happy in life and she was happy with life because life was good to her,” he said.
“But her real love in life was you, Michaela,” he added, addressing Carney’s daughter.
“We thank God for Jamey’s life, remembering at all times her joy, and the ray of sunshine that she brought to all of your lives,” he added.
Family members carried a series of personal items to the altar celebrating Carney’s life, including photographs of her daughter, Michaela, and her dog, Penny. A cowboy hat symbolizing her love of country music, the passports she and Michaela used to start their new life together in Ireland and an angel statue were also brought forward.
A framed photograph of Carney rested atop her coffin, which was positioned before the altar and draped in a white pall.
As Carney’s coffin departed St. Mary’s Cathedral following the funeral mass, young members of Dr. Crokes GAA Club formed a guard of honor outside the church. Carney’s grieving sister, Devon, wearing a Kerry GAA jersey and clutching a sunflower, was distraught as family members gathered around the hearse.
The service centered on celebrating Carney’s life, her family and the community she built in Ireland rather than the disturbing circumstances surrounding her death and subsequent murder investigation.
Detectives believe Carney was killed around 11 p.m. Monday, roughly 14 hours before her 13-year-old daughter discovered her body at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
By then, the man had traveled roughly 200 miles by bus to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Istanbul, according to the Irish Independent.
Irish police have yet to publicly identify the person they want to question in the investigation or release his name, photograph or any physical description.
Irish police confirmed to Fox News Digital they were aware “of the arrest of a male in Jordan by the Jordanian authorities,” but did not identify the man or confirm he was the person of interest in the investigation. Police also confirmed they “have not made any request to the Jordanian authorities for the arrest of any person at this time.”
Irish media have widely identified the man as the person of interest in the investigation, though Irish police have not publicly confirmed his identity.
Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Jordan, where the man is being detained, according to the Irish Independent.
Fox News Digital asked Irish police and Ireland’s Department of Justice to confirm reports that the man had previously been refused asylum while appealing that decision. Neither agency confirmed the reports.
The man had been living in state-run accommodation for asylum seekers in Killarney before spending increasing amounts of time at Carney’s home after they became romantically involved, according to the Irish Mirror.
He first arrived in the United Kingdom before traveling through Northern Ireland and eventually settling in County Kerry, according to the Irish Mirror.
His social media accounts contain posts from the United Kingdom and Turkey in recent years.
Meanwhile, the FBI told Fox News Digital it stands ready to assist Irish authorities if requested.
“Through our Legal Attaché in London, we have strong, established relationships and stand ready to assist in any way that the Irish government may request,” the FBI said in a statement.
The State Department told Fox News Digital it is providing consular assistance to the family.
