Mum-to-be dies in Border crash
A young Cavan woman, killed in a car crash two days before Christmas, was expecting her first baby, her funeral mass was told.
Amy Stokes (née Reilly) from Ballyconnell had only recently discovered the good news.
Her funeral mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Ballyconnell heard how “two lives were lost” in the single-vehicle collision on the Ballyconnell Road out of Derrylin shortly before 11pm on Monday, December 23.
The 20 year old was a passenger in the silver Vauxhall Astra and pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants of the car were taken to hospital for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Ms Stokes and her husband Damien had only recently celebrated their wedding, on September 18.
Fr Liam Kelly, who officiated at their ceremony, returned to Ballyconnell to preside over her funeral Mass.
Originally from Navan, Ms Stokes had lived in the west Cavan town from her mid-teens.
‘She was such an amazing person with a heart of gold’, said her death notice. ‘Life will never be the same without her as she is a massive loss to her family and friends’. Fr Kelly described Ms Stokes as a young woman “happy, radiant and full of fun”.
“Damien and Amy were besotted with each other. He meant the world to her and she to him. She looked radiant, happy and beautiful on that day,” he said of the day the pair tied the knot.
“Shortly before her death they discovered Amy was expecting a baby and they were over the moon with joy looking forward to becoming first-time parents. But, sadly, it wasn’t to be. Two lives were lost on Monday night last and all of us feel that loss today.”
Ms Stokes’ heartbroken husband Damien sat beside her white and gold coffin, alongside her parents Brian and Bernadette Reilly, and siblings Stephanie, Naomi, Olivia, Tom and Anthony.
Fr Kelly quoted from Seamus Heaney’s 70-year-old poem ‘Midterm Break’.
“In the 70-year period of those two accidents thousands of other families have had to endure the shock, trauma and pain that the Reilly and Stokes family are going through today.
“Whenever someone we love dies, we grieve greatly,” the priest stated. “And a little bit of us dies with them.
“When that death is of a young person who dies accidentally and, without warning, then the grief is greater still.”
Two recordings of Ms Stokes singing were also played during the well-attended service.
They included ‘Young Reilly the Fisherman’ and ‘There Were Roses’.
“‘There Were Roses’ was one of her favourite songs and it is fitting that there are lovely red roses depicted on her white coffin here in the church today. Amy had the voice of an angel.”
A voice recording of Amy saying “I promised I’d sing it, and I sang it for you Damien” on their wedding day echoed.
Following the mass, Ms Stokes was laid to rest in Carrick-On-Shannon Cemetery.
PSNI appeal
Collision Investigation Unit detectives are meanwhile investigating all circumstances in relation to the collision and would like to hear from witnesses or anyone who may have captured dash-cam or other footage who could assist them to come forward.
Call 101 and quote reference 1642 of 23/12/24 or online at: www.psni.police.uk/makeareport