Chloe McGee, 23, will be laid to rest following a funeral mass at St Joseph’s Church in Carrickmacross at 11am, while just a few hours later the funeral of 21-year-old Shay Duffy will take place at St Patrick’s Church in Rockchapel
Mourners will line the streets of Co Monaghan later today ahead of the funerals for two of the victims of a Co Louth road tragedy.
Friends Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath, Co Meath, Chloe McGee, 23, from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee, Co Louth, Shay Duffy, 21, from Carrickmacross and Chloe Hipson, 21, from Scotland were killed when a Volkswagen Golf they were travelling in collided with a Toyota Landcruiser near Dundalk last Saturday night.
Tears flowed on Friday as Mr McCluskey was laid to rest in his native Drumconrath, while just hours later mourners gathered at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Ardee for the funeral of Mr Commins.
A funeral mass will be held for Ms McGee at St Joseph’s Church in Carrickmacross at 11am today, and she will be laid to rest afterwards in the family plot in St Joseph’s Cemetery in the town.
The 23-year-old was a secondary school woodwork and construction teacher at Ó Fiaich Institute in Dundalk, and also the girlfriend of Mr McCluskey. Tragically, the couple had just returned from a holiday in Dubai days before the fatal crash.
The funeral of Mr Duffy will then be held at St Patrick’s Church in Rockchapel at 1pm this afternoon, followed by a burial in the adjoining cemetery.
The 21-year-old, an avid GAA player, had recently completed phase six of his plumbing apprenticeship training in Dundalk Institute of Technology.
A sixth individual who was also in the Volkswagen Golf at the time of the collision was treated in hospital for injuries but has since been discharged.
The two people travelling in the Toyota Land Cruiser remain in hospital where they are being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Hundreds line country road in moving tribute to crash victim Shay Duffy
Mourners at the funeral of Shay Duffy, one of the five young people who tragically died in a horror car crash, heard he was the ‘best brother’ who ‘treated his friends like family, his cars like his kids and he will be ‘Forever 21.’
Pals of Shay drove their cars into the grounds of St Patrick’s Church, Rockchapel, behind the hearse carrying Shay’s coffin marking Shay’s love for his cars.
Chief mourners at Shay’s funeral Mass include his heartbroken parents Raymond and Carmel, his brothers Vinnie and Ben, his girlfriend Zara, his Granny Marion and Granny Philomena, his uncles & aunts; Brendan, David, Colette, Aileen & Pauline and Matthew, Mary, Angeline, Teresa & Helen, his cousins, extended family and friends.
On behalf of Shay’s family, Chief celebrant Father Ben Hughes thanked all of Shay’s friends for forming a guard of honour as Shay’s remains were brought to his home on Tuesday night and the vigil they kept with Shay and his family for the past number of days.
Emotional scenes Shay Duffy laid to rest
Mourners gather for the funeral of Shay Duffy
‘You are the best brother ever’
Delivering a Paray to the Faithful, Shay’s young brother Ben told the church: “Shay, you are the best brother to me and Vinnie. I will miss not seeing you but I know you will be watching over us. Thank you for everything you did for us, especially getting us the sweets and jerseys. We will love you forever. Lord, hear us.
Shay’s brother Vinnie said: “Shay is loved by everyone. He treated his friends like family, he even treated his cars like his kids. Shay, you now live in our hearts forever. Forever 21. You are the best brother ever.”
