Friend creates a poignant artwork of crash victims
A FRIEND of one of the victims of last weekend’s Armagh car crash has paid tribute to the four young people through a poignant sketch.
Marina Crilly, Phil Mitchell, Emma Mallon and Keith Morrison died when the grey Volkswagen Golf in which they were travelling crashed on the Ballynahonemore Road on Sunday morning.
It is understood all four victims, who were aged in their 20s, died instantly.
Louise Mcentee, who is originally from Keady in Armagh, shared a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram page (@Littletokensbylou) which included an illustration of the four friends walking together.
The simplified line drawing of the group from behind features the two boys, Phil and Keith, on either end and the two girls, Marina and Emma, pictured hand in hand in the middle.
It has been shared widely in recent days in tribute to the victims.
In the caption, Louise (29) said: “Praying and thinking of all the families and friends of Phil, Marina, Emma and Keith in the Armagh community who sadly lost their lives in a tragic accident. Sending all my love and support to the Mallon family, whom I’ve known as friends and worked with for many years. May God give you all the strength to get through the tough days, weeks and months that lie ahead. May they rest in peace.”
Louise said her illustration was created as a touching tribute to the four friends who “lost their lives too soon”.
“I used to work with Emma’s two sisters for years in a café in Armagh, so I would have known her to speak to,” she told this newspaper.
“It’s just so tragic what has happened. And I thought the illustration would make a nice tribute to them, because it really hit home that bit harder because I knew her and she was just so young.”
Emma Mallon, from Middletown, had worked at Mullan’s Spar on Armagh’s Monaghan Road, which posted a tribute to her on its Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness and the heaviest of hearts that we learn of the sudden passing of our much-loved colleague and friend Emma Mallon,” Mullan’s Spar said.
“Emma was not only a loyal employee, but also a friend to both staff and customers alike, always helpful and smiling. Another life taken too soon.”
Last year, Louise also created a similar illustration in the aftermath of another fatal road crash, which also took place in Armagh, when couple Patrick and Ciera Grimley, from Madden, died following a four-vehicle collision on the Gosford Road near Markethill in November.
Ciera passed away in hospital a week after her husband, Patrick, died in the crash, which happened on the way home from celebrating his 40th birthday.
Ms Grimley was the third victim of the tragedy and passed away on the same day that another victim of the crash, Ciara Mcelvanna, was laid to rest.