ONE of the young people killed in two separate road accidents in County Donegal was due to celebrate her 21st birthday later today, it has emerged.
Mother-of-two, Teresa Robinson was killed along with friends, Stephen McCafferty-McGrath (18) and Kaylem Murphy (O’Murchaidh) (19) who died when their cars crashed on a back road between Drumkeen and Letterkenny early on Thursday morning.
The three friends’ deaths came just hours after an earlier road tragedy when two young men died after their car struck a van while they were travelling in the wrong direction along Letterkenny dual-carriageway. Barney McGinley (28) and Dermot Murphy-Boyle (19) died instantly in the accident which occurred around 5am on Wednesday.
There were emotional scenes in Killygordon last night as Ms Robinson’s body was brought to her father, Bertie Robinson’s home.
It has also emerged that the young mother left a love message for her children on her Facebook page just hours before she was killed.
She posted: “Love my babies so much. Can’t believe how fast they are growing up.”
The towns of Letterkenny, Glenfin and Killygordon are preparing for a huge outpouring of public grief as the funerals of the five road accident victims take place today and tomorrow.
Friends, Mr McGinley and Mr Murphy-Boyle will be buried later today, following Requiem Masses at St Eunan’s Cathedral and the Church of the Irish Martyrs while the three other funerals will take place tomorrow.
The funeral of Stephen McCafferty, a former underage county hurler with Donegal, will take place from his grandparents’ home at Burt on the Derry/Donegal border for Requiem Mass at St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny at noon tomorrow.
Requiem Mass for Kaylem Murphy will take place at 11am at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Glenfin while Ms Robinson’s funeral will take place from her father’s home for Requiem Mass at St Patrick’s Church, Killygordon also at 11am.
A Donegal priest who attended the scene of Thursday’s tragedy said the three young people’s deaths has had a huge impact on their communities.
Fr Eamonn Kelly was called out to bless the bodies of the three young people at the scene of the accident.
Fr Kelly said: “It was a very sad scene. When anybody loses their life obviously it is very sad and there are great difficulties involved. You never get used to it because everyone is different. Even though you may have been called to accidents before you have never been called to this accident before.”
