Northern Ireland

Crash victim had been due to marry next year

Youth worker and keen horse rider Orla O'Reilly (34) was killed in a road crash in Donegal on Friday afternoon
Youth worker and keen horse rider Orla O'Reilly (34) was killed in a road crash in Donegal on Friday afternoon Youth worker and keen horse rider Orla O'Reilly (34) was killed in a road crash in Donegal on Friday afternoon

A WOMAN killed in a road crash near the border had been due to get married next year.

Orla O'Reilly (34), originally from Co Cavan but who had been living in Inishowen in Co Donegal, died after a collision involving her Skoda car on the main road from Derry to Letterkenny at around 2.30pm on Friday.

A passenger in a Honda car coming in the opposite direction, named locally as Kevin McClintock (32) from the Galliagh area of Derry, was also killed.

The driver of the car carrying Mr McClintock was being treated in Letterkenny General Hospital.

Miss O'Reilly was travelling to work at Donegal Youth Services, which described her as "an inspiring youth worker."

In a post on its Facebook page, it wrote: "We in Donegal Youth Service are devastated by the sudden death of our friend and colleague. Our sadness is beyond words and our thoughts and prayers are for her fiancée Jimmy, her family and her friends. Orla was an inspiration to us all and through her work, she helped and inspired so many young people."

The Cavan woman was also a keen horse rider, a member of Inishowen Riding Club and former secretary of Letterkenny Riding Club.

A show at Benbulben Riding Club was cancelled on Saturday as a mark of respect.

One woman who worked with Miss O'Reilly said she was "one of the nicest people" she had known.

"Orla O'Reilly has always been a great mentor to me since I was 16. Orla always reminded me to believe in myself and as a dancer I cannot thank her enough to have given me the opportunity to perform with a bigger audience twice."

Weather conditions were particularly bad at the time of the collision, which occurred on a stretch of road at Killyvery which has seen several fatalities in recent years.

In October 2008 a teenage boy was killed in a two-vehicle collision while in May 2009, friends Gary McLaughlin and Darren Downey died on the same N13 road a short distance away.

Yesterday marked World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims across the world.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said: "Unfortunately so far this year 62 people have been killed on our roads across Northern Ireland.

"Behind each of these statistics are family and friends who have been affected and we must remember them."

Gardai have appealed for any witnesses to get in contact about the Donegal tragedy.