TAGHMON WOMAN AIRLIFTED FOLLOWING COLLISION WITH BUS
A YOUNG Wexford woman was airlifted by Defence Forces helicopter to a hospital in Dublin after sustaining serious injuries in a three-vehicle crash in Bunclody from which a busload of more than 30 children escaped unhurt.
Emma Shannon (20) from Taghmon was seriously injured when her car was in collision with a coach which was transporting children from Carlow Regional Youth Service on a day trip to Kia Ora Farm in Gorey.
The accident which also involved a car driven by a County Kildare woman in her 70s who received non-life threatening injuries, happened on the N80 road on the Enniscorthy side of the outskirts of Bunclody town at approximately 11 am last Thursday morning. Emergency services including ambulance paramedics, fire brigade units and gardai attended at the scene.
A Defence Forces helicopter landed in a field near the road and Emma, a second year student at NUIG Galway, who was home in Wexford for the Easter holidays, was flown to Tallaght Hospital before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery on Thursday night. On learning of the crash, her distraught family travelled to Dublin to be by her side.
Emma is the daughter of Martin and Helen Shannon and has two older brothers.
Relatives and friends including fellow camogie players in Taghmon-Camross GAA Club with whom Emma was training the night before the accident, were shocked and distressed to hear that she had been involved in the collision.
Taghmon-Camross GAA Club said their prayers and thoughts are with Emma and her family at this difficult time.
Rosary and prayers for Emma were also held at a packed Taghmon Church on Sunday evening.
The former Loreto secondary school student is a keen sportswoman and also plays ladies football and rugby, lining out with Wexford Wanderers Vixens and the rugby side at NUIG where she has been a student since 2016 after completing her Leaving Cert.
Road conditions on the morning of the crash were not good following heavy rain and hail showers and visibility was quite poor.
The road was closed until 7pm in the evening and local diversions were put in place to allow investigating gardai to carry out a detailed forensic examination of the scene.