HUNDREDS OF Donegal locals held candles last night to welcome home the remains of crash victim Róisín Connolly to Fanad where she will be buried today.
Ms Connolly (39), a teacher at Educate Together school in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the Dublin-Derry N2 at Nurebeg outside Carrickmacross on Monday.
Glenn Curtiss (27), Dunroe, Nobber, Co Meath, and Paul Carroll (27), Dunheeda, Co Meath, who were in a BMW car involved in the crash, died at the scene. Two other men in that car were injured.
A couple in a third car, an Opel Vectra, were treated for minor injuries and their two children were unharmed. The crash occurred in heavy rain on a straight stretch of the N2 and initial indications were that the BMW glanced off the side of the Opel before colliding with the car in which Ms Connolly was fatally injured.
Although she survived the crash and was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Ms Connolly died a few hours later from. The baby, whom the couple had named Catherine, also failed to survive.
Ms Connolly and her daughter were taken from Ballybay Funeral Home in Co Monaghan shortly after 1pm yesterday to make the journey to her mother’s home, where she was waked last night. Her wooden coffin and the tiny white coffin of her daughter were covered in floral tributes. Ms Connolly’s husband Stephen, who was injured in the crash, was discharged from hospital for the funerals. He was on crutches last night and had his arm in a cast.
As the funeral cortege of more than 30 cars made its way through towns and villages including Ramelton, Kerrykeel and Portsalon, people stood respectfully.
The cortege stopped outside Ms Connolly’s old school, Doagh Beg NS. Outside local people carried candles, while candles were also placed on the wall outside the school, forming an archway of light. Just before 6pm the two coffins finally arrived at the home of Ms Connolly’s mother Catherine, where locals waited to greet them.
Earlier Taoiseach Brian Cowen joined family members and hundreds of mourners and sympathisers at the removal in Ballybay, Co Monaghan. Among the mourners were Róisín’s mother Catherine Lanagan, her sister Eileen and her parents-in-law – former junior minister for the environment Ger Connolly and his wife Marie. Also present were other family members, inlaws, friends and relations.
Also in attendance in Ballybay were Senator Donie Cassidy, along with local Oireachtas members Dr Rory O’Hanlon TD, Margaret Connolly TD and Senator Francie O’Brien.
Today’s funeral Mass at St Mary’s Church in Fanavolty, Fanad, will be concelebrated by Ms Connolly’s cousin Fr Damien McGroarty and local priest Fr Patrick McGarvey.
Paul Carroll will also be buried today at the Church of the Immaculate Conception near his home in Kingscourt, Co Meath.
The other passenger in the BMW car involved in the crash, Glen Curtiss of Dunroe, Nobber, Co Meath, was buried yesterday after funeral Mass at St John the Baptist Church in Nobber.