Perfect together. They were so looking forward to being parents
A NEWLYWED who was seven months pregnant has died in a head-on car crash, while her husband remains in a serious condition.
A 17-year- old schoolboy was also killed, and one of the country’s young golfing stars has suffered horrific injuries.
Mary Enright, 28, who got married just last year, was driving the car, with her husband Pat, 18-year- old golfer Jack Leacy, and another passenger when she collided with another car in south Tipperary on Monday night.
The couple, whose first baby was due in around eight weeks’ time, had been driving Mr Leacy from a minor GAA football game to Limerick, where he is in college. Mr Enright has coached the team.
The newlyweds, from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, shared a passion for GAA, and had met through the sport as keen players and coaches.
Friends say they were ‘thrilled’ and ‘excited’ about starting out their life as new parents.
Robert Stoker, 17, from Monkstown in Co. Cork, was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been driving the second car alone when the accident happened at around 10.40pm.
Mr Enright is in a serious but stable condition, as is Mr Leacy. A friend of the young golfer told how the force of the crash had caused shocking injuries, which saw the teenager’s diaphragm pushed up into his lungs.
His bowel was also cut in half during impact. Another young passen- ger in the Enrights’ car was not seriously injured.
Mrs Enright, who played for Waterford Ladies GAA and coached Dungarvan club, Abbeyside under 14s, ran a shop which sold office supplies in Dungarvan. She was also a former selector with the Waterford ladies’ GAA football panel.
Tony Mansfield, Abbeyside/ballinacourty GAA Club chair and a friend of the couple’s, said: ‘This is a terrible tragedy for all of the families involved. Both the Enrights and the Walshes have been involved in GAA for a long time and it was through GAA that Mary and Pat met.
‘Mary was a lovely young woman – a
‘Words can’t express sadness’
great GAA player and a fantastic coach. They were j ust perfect together and they were so looking forward to being parents.
‘My condolences go to all the families. This is a terrible loss and words can’t express the feeling of sadness here today.’
It is not yet known why teenager Robert was in Tipperary. His mother Marie and father, John, were last night said to be ‘shocked and devastated,’ at the loss of the oldest of their three sons.
Fr John Newman, from the Sacred Heart Church in Monkstown, has been comforting the family following the tragedy. He said: ‘Seventeen is so young, and too young to die.
‘We don’t know anything about what happened yet and at the moment I am just dealing with complete, raw grief.
‘People in Monkstown are just drawing breath in shock. Sadness fills the air here today. Robert’s family are beautiful, loving people and they are very well known here.’
Meanwhile David Hayes, who coaches junior players at Dungarvan Golf Club in Co. Waterford, paid tribute to talented golfer Mr Leacy, who is also a keen GAA player.
‘He is among the top three junior golfers in the country and the world is Jack’s oyster. But this is the worst news we could have had.
‘He is a lovely young fella too, very affable. He’s very tall and just a friendly kind of kid who loves sport.
‘He has his whole life ahead of him and we are all praying he and Pat will pull through.’
Mr Hayes also knows the Enrights and said: ‘They were really excited about becoming parents.
‘They were a great couple. So well matched because of their love of GAA and life in general… We are just all numb with shock.’
The stretch of the N24 between Waterford and Limerick was closed for much of yesterday while gardaí carried out a forensic examination of the area, which is less than 1km from the village of Bansha. They are still unsure of the cause of the accident.
Witnesses have been asked to contact the gardaí in Tipperary town on 062-80670.