Shirley Anne Finlay

I don't really know why I am posting but Shirley came into my mind last night and I felt moved to write something here.I didn't know Shirley well. Met her maybe  a half dozen times when she was living in North Belfast. I was working in the Jobcentre at the time and she came onto one of our programmes. I wouldn't say we became friends but I was touched by her story and the sadness in her life and I cared for her as one human being to another.. I remember her as a gentle young girl who had been treated badly by life. She was optimistic about her future and I had hoped that things would get better for her. I was so saddened with what happened to her. The world can be so cruel and unfair, even to the most vulnerable and gentle souls in it who deserved more. My deep condolences to the people who have commented on this site and who obviously loved and cared for her. 

Funny how things happen our wee Shirley!

I am now living near one of the places I hold very fond in my heart ❤️ 

You never did explain why but it was obvious you loved Cavehill.  I often walk it now and remember our many days and nights just up above the world with the beautiful views of Belfast.  

The first person ever to take me there and the amount of times we spent just chatting and smoking our wee fegs putting the world to rights.

I will always remember those special times I got to cherish with you I just wish there were more.

The brightest angel and star in heaven ✨️ 


Love you always

when up to your final resting place today brought you some flowers and said a few prayers shed afew tears I know your always watching and keeping my safe from heaven I promised Mary your foster mum I would live  the life you never got the chance to when I get hard days or I feel like giving up i remeber the promise I made and I close my eyes and feel u in my heart your wee laugh your shy demeanor always in my heart never far from my thoughts gbnf my wee cousin all my love thomas xxxx 

I have fond memories of the time that I knew shirley. She was such a kind, caring and loving person. I remember Shirley from the Phab club. My sis and I were on holiday with Shirley in Spain and I remember Shirley walking around with her headphones on listening to music and will always remember her as being like a human angel and her kind smile. She was a beautiful person. I was only very young when I knew her about 10 or 13 years old I think. She was there for me to talk to when I was being bullied in school and I count her as one of the only true friends I have ever had. Even though we lost touch after phab I have never forgotten her.  I do believe she left a lasting impression on everyone who was lucky enough for her to have touched their lifes. It is tragic that the world has had someone so loving stolen from it by such a evil person. Rip Shirley.

hi pet just sittin here thinking of you and now im startin to cry cause i miss you so much pet i wish u were still wit us but i no u cant i hope the angels r lookin after you and you r lookin down on us and keeping us safe in this evil world we call home  love you so so much pet i will say nite nite now pet and god bless pet i send you all my love big sis stephen and mummy shirley send there love to pet xoxoxoxoooooxoxoxoxoxoxxooooxoxoxoxoxoooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox  

Hey wee wurly im just sittin readin all these lovely messages an the tears is flying out oh me, wee all think about u an lov u an miss u so ceri much, sometimes wee sit an w8 on u walkin in the door, its hard babes, i hope the angels is lookin after u pet, miss u load god bless pear drop, xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

shirley we sat in the leaving and after meeting room lookin at each other sharing experiences then it dawned on me that u were called finley then i rang you later on and asked was ur mummy called jean who was my aunty then we had found each other and we came in and out of each others lifes frequently i remember the birthday that we shared together i put my arms around you and said happy birthday cuz it was amazin the time we spent together your little michevious laugh my onli regretis lettin you go when i had you in my life and going to dublin to work i wish i hada took u you with me and kept you safe

love always Thomas

ur my angel up there xxxxxxx

hi pet i hope the angels are looking after you we miss you so much every day i have so many memories i always remember wen it was my 16th b'day and you had a surprise party for me i was so surprised that you even got the chocolate cake i wanted i will always remember your cheerful smile i also always remember when you lived with me and my mum and wee brother and i was only 10 or 11 that i always wanted you to sleep beside me but i always scared you by sleeping at the edge of the bed and shouted on my mum because you thought i was going to fall out of the bed and my mum said to u not to worry and just watch what i do and i lifted myself on the bed fast asleep and you and mum laughed at this all the time i always remember wen you went out for the night you would get me to help put on your fake tan and make up and help you to find an outfit to wear i miss all the fun and laughter we had you were a big sister to me and i will never forget you pet i miss you so much my heart hurts love you so much are angel xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo.

Hi chick I have so much to tell about all the amazing times we shared together.  I remember the very 1st day you moved to Ballymena and my big sis became like your mum and we became instant friends.  You inspired me Shirley as I was in a rut at the time and then you went to springboard and incouraged me to join so we could go to Canada together.  It was naughty though as you were not suppose to go in the same group as someone whom you knew, however we pretended not to know each other so we could go and it worked but didn't take the organisers long to realise we were friends. They didn't stop us going and what a ball we had in our group.  Out of everyone in the group of us you became the agony aunt making sure everyone was ok and also making us giggle at your we mood swings which would always end with you laughing. 

 

One of the funniest things about sharing an apartment with you was how you manage to put make up everywere and us trying to cook dinners.

 

I still have the photos and will get them up here so the world can share your beautiful smile chick.

 

 

Hope your in the arms of your  mum now honey and know your watching over us all.

 

love always xxxxxx

 

 

 

our dearest shirley,

 your blood mum could not keep you as she was unwell, your blood relative's fought to keep you but unsuccessed but that dosent mean they stopped loving you, they were devasted. you will always be in there heart's such a beautiful girl die'ing a tragic when, sick deluced people today, people have no respect, god forgive then. we will always love you our angel. your with your mummy now, sleep tight and watch over us angel all my love. xoxox

idont know how to start to tell you how i feel i thought i had all the time in the world but time goes so quick i wish i could have said this when we were together.

so hear goes they say young people dont know what love is i remember the first time i saw you you were standing in the dinner line in school i thought u were the most beautiful girl i ever seen and when u looked at me i new we were going to be close we were together for about 3years i remember you sent me a letter and you said that u loved me and thats why we could not be together the feeling i got in my stomace i will never forget thats how u know what love is its that feeling and fear of losing someone that you would do anything in your par to protect them no matter what the cost you see i knew you more than you thought u were scard to let anyone get to close because if u did u were scard of losing them but like i told u a long time ago you will never lose me not even in death we are all gods children all we need is feath to know we will stand

together again and have a lot more good times so ontill then i will say i will always love you and no matter  what life brings or how hard it gets nothing will chang that. 

I love  you  shirley

well our kid u have been away for a while  and your missed  loads and loads  i often think about  you even walking down  the street and someone who looks like you willl walk past and just for a second i go to call your name but i know in my heart you are loooking after me from up there in heaven my wee cousin love you loads i wish you were still here so you could meet jessica my wee girl ahe would have loved you our kid well ill see you when i get there love thomas x

My dear Shirley, we had plenty of good times in the years that we wer friends, my heart still aches 2 think of u being gone and never 2 see that great big smile of yours again, its a new year and altough we didnt celebarate it together, and i know u would of been the life and soul of the partys i know u hav a better life were u r now but i will never forget my bubbley friend shirley, always in my thoughts and dreams.

We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name,
In life we loved you dearly,in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you, the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same,
But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

I will all ways think off Shirley as wee Shirley Corry. I have fond memories of when Mark and I used to look after you, your big blue eyes used to sparkle bright and your laugh could be heard through out the house,we can only question why you where taken from us in such a cruel way. We will have to beleive in that saying "the good die young",and ask for the strengh to live our lives in the hope that one day our family will be together again. Your memory will live on as you will always be in our hearts. REST IN PEACE.xox

I remember you when you were a little girl. I remember you were a beautiful child with a wonderful imagination and a lovely smile. I loved holidays in Wexford with our big family too and remember paddling at the seaside and buying you sweets from the wee hut by the beach. I'm sorry I didn't know you all that well as you grew into a beautiful young woman but I wanted to say that you will be missed. God bless Shirley.  

Shirley came into my life as my wee sister and I really loved and cared for her.  When she stayed with me we would laugh and talk and she helped me through some hard times.  She will always be my sister and I will always love and miss her and I am glad she came into my life.

 

 

 

TO MY WEE SIS SHIRLEY

 

I WROTE THIS FOR YOU TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME.

YOU CAME INTO MY LIFE AS A BABY SO TINY AND FULL OF SMILES.

I WAS NEVER SO HAPPY AT LAST I HAD A SISTER. I CAN SEE IT IN MY MIND AS IF IT WAS YESTURDAY. WE SHARED A ROOM AND PLAYED ALL DAY WE HAD OUR FIGHTS LIKE SISTERS DO. BUT NO MATTER WHAT I ALWAYS LOVED YOU. THEN ONE DAY YOU HAD TO LEAVE, WHICH WAS THE SADDEST DAY OF MY LIFE, THOUGH NO MATTER WERE YOU LIVED YOU WERE AND ALWAYS BE MY WEE SIS SHIRLEY. YOU MOVED AWAY BUT NEVER TOFAR, YOU CAME AND WENT BUT ALWAYS CAME BACK. MY DOOR WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO YOU NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY BECAUSE YOU WERE AND ALWAYS WILL BE MY WEE SIS SHIRLEY.

 

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART, MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS I WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH REST IN PEACE MY WEE SIS SHIRLEY.

 

This is how i remember you Shirley....

It is sad that one so beautiful yet so vulnerable should be taken from us in such a horrific way. Anyone who came into contact with Shirley must feel a tremendous loss as in her own way she left a part of herself with you. May her soul rest in peace and god will find a way to punish those responsible.

Shirley was born on the 22nd September 1981 weighing 8lbs and 15 ounces.  Her mum suffering from a mental illness was unable to keep her and although her blood family wanted to keep her she was put into care.  She lived a short time with her first foster parents and then moved to the Corry family where she stayed for 11 years.  Unfortunately she had to move again although the Corrys kept contact with her right up until 15 months before she was murdered on the 19th September 2006.  Shirley had a great chuckle of a laugh and was very beautiful.

God forgive the person who took away her young life and left her lying there like a pile of rubbish.  Be with us all as we try to cope with the loss of our angel.