Two Donegal priests have pleaded with young people to respect the dangers on the roads as three friends were laid to rest following a head-on collision.
Steven McCafferty-McGrath (19) Kaylem O’Muirchaidh (19) and Teresa Robinson (20) all perished when their cars collided on a remote road between Letterkenny and Drumkeen.
All three were buried in separate funerals yesterday as hundreds of mourners heard how each had so much to live for.
But Fr Eamonn Kelly and Fr Patrick Arkinson used the funerals to remind others about how fragile life is on the roads.
Mother-of-two Ms Robinson would have celebrated her 21st birthday at a party that had been planned by her family last Saturday, those who gathered at her funeral mass heard.
She was laid to rest following St. Patrick’s Church at the Cross Roads, Killygordon.
Chief celebrant Father Patrick Arkinson, P.P.told those gathered, that Teresa’s death should never have happened. He spoke of the “unpredictability of life” adding “that no one knows the day or the hour.”
He said that Teresa had died too young and that she had been very special and important to her family.
Those gathered heard that Teresa had made a determined effort recently with her life and had tried to progress her career by applying for a course and that she had been accepted on it.
She had hoped that the new course would create opportunity and perhaps open the door to employment creating a better future.
Father Arkinson said the consequences of driving at speed can be devastating for several families.
“Driving is necessary in modern day society. Vehicles are positive when driven with care. If one drives at speed and has an accident, the consequences can be devastating, not just for one or two but for several families as well,” he said.
He told those gathered that life is a “precious gift” from God and urged the congregation to thank God every day for it.
He said that “sadly” Teresa’s two young boys Dara and Dillon would never remember their mother.
Meanwhile speaking at the funeral of Steven McGrath-McCafferty at St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny at the same time, Fr Eamonn Kelly also pleaded with drivers to slow down on our roads.
Fr Kelly told mourners in blunt terms that if people drove more slowly they would have a greater chance of surviving a crash or not crashing at all.
“We are a fragile people. We cannot get beyond that reality. We are not as sturdy as we pretend. I appeal to all who use our roads to slow down, to be careful, to be cautious.
“All of us use the roads and any of us can have an accident but if we move slower we have a much better chance of surviving and indeed of avoiding the crash altogether. Today I ask for an awareness of the dangers that using the roads hold.
“We all have a responsibility to make a difference. It is about a change of attitude. It is about realising that it can happen to me; that we will not always just get away with it, that it will not always be a near miss.
“All sorts of events, devices, objects impair our judgement and many things distract us. All who use the roads have a responsibility to make a difference, to change, to improve the situation, to stop the carnage, to arrive at our destination safely,” he said.
However Fr Kelly said he also said he was conscious “that there will not be a collective change of attitude.”
“That never happens. All I can hope for in these words at the brokenness of the Funeral Mass for another eighteen year old is that someone will decide to slow down, that someone will decide to change their attitude, that someone will prevent an accident by being more aware of the danger on the roads and how we use then. It is only a few years ago that Steven was an altar server here in the Cathedral. Surely in his memory we can decide to try and make a difference.”
Paying tribute to Steven, he said the young man had a lot of living to do but that all that changed in the “blink of an eye.”
“Steven was an ordinary fun-loving talented young man. He played hurling to a good standard, had hoped to start a course for mechanical work and was a fine singer. One of his favourite songs is called “Three Wooden Crosses”. I invite you to look up the words. It will send shivers through you.
“A bit of the chorus says “it is not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it is what you leave behind when you go”. Steven leaves a heartbroken family, a stunned community, many broken friends and a lot of potential undone. As we ask Christ to give him a merciful welcome I ask you to pray for Steven often. And I appeal to you to be alert on the road of life.”
The funeral also took place of the final member of the circle of friends to die in the horrific crash, Kaylem O’Muirchaidh.
Kaylem was buried following funeral mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Glenfin for funeral mass at 11am.
A large crowd heard Kaylem described by those closest to him as being a wonderful friend with a great personality.
On Saturday, two cousins, Barney McGinley, 28 and Dermot Boyle, 19, were laid to rest in Letterkenny after they had also been involved in a head-on collision at 4.45am on Wednesday morning outside Letterkenny.
Gardai are still trying to determine how the pair ended up on the wrong side of the dual carriageway before they collided with a Renault van.
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