A soft wind carried the scent of fresh flowers through the quiet streets of Longpavement in Limerick as Scarlett Faulkner’s family prepared for one of the most emotional days since her tragic passing. Today, exactly one week after laying the 29-year-old mother to rest, her loved ones will gather at the modest family home she cherished most — the small, well-kept house where she raised her six-year-old daughter Oceanna with endless love and quiet strength.

In a deeply moving message shared with the community this morning, the Faulkner family issued a heartfelt request ahead of the special dedication event: “Today is not about anger or questions. Today is a touching tribute to Mum. We ask everyone to come with open hearts, bring only love, prayers, and perhaps a single pink rose — Scarlett’s favourite. No cameras inside the home, no questions about the investigation. Just peace for our sister and her little girl.”

The request, posted on a private family page and quickly shared across local groups, has touched thousands. It reflects the family’s desire to create a sacred space where grief can breathe, where memories can be shared without the shadow of ongoing police inquiries, and where young Oceanna can feel surrounded by warmth rather than pain.

The dedication event will take place this afternoon at Scarlett’s beloved home — the same house where investigators earlier discovered the hidden “go bag” containing cash, a passport, and a one-way ticket under a false identity. Today, however, that house will transform from a place of secrets and fear into a sanctuary of remembrance. Pink and white balloons will line the garden path, soft music will play from inside, and a large framed photograph of Scarlett smiling with Oceanna on her lap will stand proudly at the entrance.

Family members say the idea came directly from Scarlett’s younger sister Victoria, who has become the emotional anchor for the family since the tragedy. “Scarlett always said her happiest moments were at home with Oceanna,” Victoria told close friends. “She loved making the house warm and safe. Today we want to fill it with the love she gave us every single day.”

Those invited include immediate family, close friends from the Traveller community, neighbours who watched Oceanna grow up, and a small number of supporters who have stood by the family since Scarlett’s brutal assault on March 21. A few community leaders and representatives from domestic violence support groups have also been quietly asked to attend, not to speak publicly, but to offer silent solidarity.

The programme for the afternoon is intentionally simple and deeply personal. Attendees will first gather in the small front garden for a short prayer led by Father Michael O’Connor, the same priest who officiated the funeral at St Munchin’s Church. Then everyone will move inside the home, where a special “Memory Table” has been prepared. On it sit Scarlett’s favourite teacup, the pink scarf Oceanna still sleeps with, several of the little girl’s drawings addressed “To Mummy in Heaven,” and a single candle that will remain lit throughout the event.

One of the most anticipated moments will be the reading of Scarlett’s Legacy Letter — not the full investigative version held by Gardaí, but selected gentle passages that speak of her love for Oceanna and her hopes for her daughter’s future. The family has chosen to share only the parts filled with light and motherly affection, shielding the more painful sections for another day.

Young Oceanna, now staying permanently with her aunt Victoria, is expected to participate in her own small way. Family members say she has been drawing new pictures every day for her mother and has asked to place one on the Memory Table herself. Those close to the child describe her as still deeply confused, often waking at night calling for “Mummy” and asking when she is coming home from the hospital. Today’s event is partly designed to help the little girl feel her mother’s presence in the place she knew best.

Neighbours have quietly contributed in touching ways. One elderly woman baked Scarlett’s favourite apple tart, another brought a handmade quilt in soft pink tones. A group of local mothers have organised a small collection of children’s books so Oceanna will always have stories to read — the same stories her mother used to read to her every night.

The family’s special request for respect and privacy has been widely praised online. Many commenters on local Facebook groups wrote messages such as “This is exactly what Scarlett would have wanted — love, not drama” and “Let them grieve in peace. They’ve already lost too much.” The request has also sparked a wave of kindness, with strangers offering to cook meals for the family, babysit Oceanna so Victoria can rest, and even plant flowers in Scarlett’s memory at the local park where mother and daughter spent many happy afternoons.

As the community prepares to gather, reflections on Scarlett’s life continue to surface in quiet conversations. She was remembered not only as a devoted mother but as a kind, hardworking young woman who dreamed of giving her daughter a better future. Friends recalled how Scarlett would stay up late sewing dresses for Oceanna, how she taught her daughter simple Traveller songs, and how she always made sure there was laughter in the house even during difficult times.

Yet the tenderness of today’s event cannot completely erase the darker realities surrounding Scarlett’s death. The roadside attack near Birdhill that left her with catastrophic head injuries, the two women currently facing charges, the arrest of her secret lover, and the suspicious death of her brother Jason just 48 hours after the funeral all still loom heavily. Gardaí continue their investigation, and many in the community hope that today’s peaceful tribute will not be interrupted by further tragedy.

For now, however, the focus remains on love. The family has asked that anyone attending brings only positive energy. “Scarlett gave us so much love,” the message read. “Today we give it back to her and to little Oceanna, who needs to feel that love more than ever.”

As afternoon light begins to filter through the curtains of the small house on Longpavement, preparations continue at a gentle pace. Pink roses are being arranged in every room. Soft music plays in the background. And in the corner of the living room, a child’s drawing of a stick-figure mummy and daughter holding hands sits ready to be placed on the Memory Table.

This dedication event is more than a memorial. It is an act of healing for a family fractured by violence and loss. It is a public declaration that, despite everything, love remains stronger than fear. And it is a promise to a little six-year-old girl that although her mummy cannot come back, she will never be forgotten.

In the hours leading up to the gathering, the Faulkner family stands together once more — not in protest or demand for justice, but in quiet, aching remembrance. They ask only for respect, for space to breathe, and for the community to join them in celebrating the beautiful, too-short life of a mother who loved with every beat of her heart.

As the first guests begin to arrive, carrying single pink roses and gentle smiles, the house that once held Scarlett’s dreams and fears now fills with something different: the warmth of shared memories, the comfort of community, and the enduring power of a mother’s love that even death cannot erase.

Today, in this small home in Limerick, a family will try to find peace. They will honour a beloved daughter and sister. And they will surround a little girl with the love her mother can no longer give in person — but continues to give through every tear, every memory, and every pink rose placed in her name.

A touching tribute to Mum. A day of love in the face of unimaginable loss. And a quiet reminder that some bonds are simply too strong to be broken by tragedy.