Irish Sunday Mirror

Final farewells for tragic trio killed in horror road smash

Mourners are bussed in to wakes as county weeps for devastated families

- BY PADDY CLANCY news@irishmirro­r.ie

THE funerals of the three victims of the Co Louth road tragedy will take place tomorrow.

Services for Margaret Mcgonigle, 69, and her 37-year-old daughter Mairead Mundy will be held at 11am in the Church of St Joseph and St Conal in Bruckless, Co Donegal.

Just hours later a funeral Mass will begin in the same church for the third victim, mother-of-four Racheal Battles.

All three women will be buried in the adjoining cemetery.

Grief-stricken Donegal mourned as shuttle buses brought people to and from wakes in two neighbouri­ng homes on a tiny housing estate in Ballylough­an last night.

Mourners included Racheal’s four children and Mairead’s only child, 13-year-old Caoimhin O’neill, whose dad died tragically eight years ago.

Close family friends are helping the teenager deal with three heartbreak­ing losses in tragedies – first his father in 2009 and on Friday his mother and grandmothe­r. Mrs Mcgonigle and her daughter were being waked in one house where Caoimhin lives with his stepdad Padraig Mundy.

Racheal was being waked in her own home by husband Martin, children and friends.

Parish priest Fr James Sweeney said: “The whole community is still stunned but starting to come to terms with the terrible tragedy.”

He has not held a funeral in his church for nine months until yesterday when 92-year-old local Francis Mcginley was buried. Mourners also prayed for the three crash victims.

The women died when returning home in two separate cars from Dublin Airport following a holiday in Turkey.

Mairead and husband Padraig had been celebratin­g their first wedding anniversar­y with family and friends.

 ??  ?? CRASH SCENE Gardai at the site in Ardee, Co Louth MUM OF ONE Racheal Battles CLOSE Mairead Mundy and her mum Margaret Mcgonigle
CRASH SCENE Gardai at the site in Ardee, Co Louth MUM OF ONE Racheal Battles CLOSE Mairead Mundy and her mum Margaret Mcgonigle

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