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Irish Times
7 days ago
- Irish Times
‘Only consolation' from deaths of Donegal mother and daughter is they are together, funeral hears
Side by side, the white coffins of mother and daughter Natalie (27) and Ella McLaughlin (six) sat at the altar of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Carndonagh for their funeral Mass. The congregation heard of Natalie's caring ways, and how she made sure her children knew they were the 'most loved in the world'. Tributes to Ella celebrated a bubbly and entertaining girl who 'lived such a full life in a very short six years'. Amidst their grief, the 'only consolation' that Natalie's family has from the tragedy is that they are now together. READ MORE Ella died at the scene of a two-vehicle collision on the Glentogher Road, just outside Carndonagh, Co Donegal on July 2nd. The following day, Natalie, who worked as a nurse in a Carndonagh doctor's surgery died at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Ella McLaughlin (6) and her mother Natalie were both killed in a car crash near Carndonagh, Co Donegal. Photograph: Joe Boland Hundreds lined the streets of Carndonagh town centre as the beloved mother and daughter's funeral cortege made its way to the church. Local schools and sports clubs from across the town stood out in solidarity and shops pulled their blinds in a mark of respect. Only two of the car's occupants survived the crash. At the funeral Mass, prayers were said for the speedy recovery of Natalie's partner Tyrone Irwin, who is in Altnagelvin Hospital and Rhea-Rose, who is 18 months old and continues to be treated at the Royal Victoria Hospital. The young family had enjoyed a holiday to Portugal just two weeks ago. Parish priest Fr Con McLaughlin said the pain of the tragedy has been felt throughout the whole community. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire He recounted the day that Natalie, Tyrone and the children began a journey in their red Opel Corsa, a trip that 'would be a journey which was to rob them of their young lives'. Fr McLaughlin said: 'The pain is felt not only in Carndonagh, but also throughout our Inishowen and further afield because it provides painful memories of all too many similar tragedies that have taken place throughout the region.' Fr McLaughlin shared that Natalie's mother offered one comment when she said: 'The only consolation I have is now, that they are together'. 'Two young lives taken. No one has the answers,' said Fr McLaughlin. Gifts and eulogies from Natalie's family honoured the passions and characters of both mother and daughter. Natalie's nursing uniform was presented to the altar. A tribute from her brother Tiernan recalled how much she loved her job and cared for everyone. 'Our Nat was the best big sister, mum, friend, daughter. She put everyone before herself, maybe sometimes a little too much, but it was obvious how much of a caring person she really was,' Tiernan said. Also among the gifts was Ella's Labubu toy. She loved dancing and fashion and had been so proud to wear a Labubu doll attached to her shorts at a recent dance class, where she had many friends, just as she did at St Patrick's Girls National School. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Ella's aunt Lara recalled how much her niece loved her recent holiday to Portugal, where she learned how to swim, play chess and do magic tricks. 'Our perfect, crazy girl with her cheeky little face and sassy attitude, it was easy for Ella to leave a lasting impression on everyone that she met,' Lara said. The funeral concluded with Ella's favourite song, Die With A Smile by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. The congregation listened to the touching lyrics, 'Nobody's promised tomorrow' and 'If the world was ending, I want to be next to you,' before departing for Natalie and Ella's final journey, with interment in the adjoining cemetery. To date, the local community has raised more than €43,000 through a GoFundMe for the family.
Irish Times
04-07-2025
- Irish Times
‘Such a lovely family': Mother and daughter who died in Donegal crash named locally
A mother and daughter who died following a road crash near Carndonagh, Co Donegal on Wednesday evening have been named locally. They were Natalie McLaughlin and her six-year-old daughter Ella McLaughlin from Carndonagh. Ms McLaughlin's partner, Tyrone Irwin, is still in a serious condition at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry but his injuries are not understood to be life-threatening. The couple's other daughter, Rhea Rose (2), was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital from Altnagelvin for specialist treatment but her injuries are also understood to not be life-threatening. READ MORE The crash happened at 6.30pm on Wednesday following a collision between a car and a van at Glentogher, Carndonagh. Ella was pronounced dead at the scene while her mother, father and sister were rushed to the nearest hospital across the border in Derry. The driver of the van, who is in his late teens, was treated at the scene but his injuries are not understood to be serious. The scene of the crash. Photograph: Joe Dunne/North West Newspix Ms McLaughlin was initially treated at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry but was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where she died yesterday afternoon as a result of her injuries. Ms McLaughlin, who was in her 20s, was well-known in her native Carndonagh where she worked as a nurse in a local doctor's surgery. She qualified with a Bachelor of Science in Adult Nursing from Ulster University and began working as a Registered Nurse in 2022. Her parents – Ella's grandparents, Danny and Joanne, and both extended families were last night being comforted by friends. Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal Authority, Cllr Martin McDermott, said his thoughts and prayers are with the entire family. 'Words fall short at this time, what can anybody say? They are such a lovely family and so well respected in our local community,' he said. 'It's just devastating. The loss of anybody on our roads is difficult for any community to take. 'But the loss of a mother and daughter, particularly given the fact that they are so young, is even more poignant and more difficult to accept. 'People are just numb and there is very little I can add to that other than to keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.' Gardaí continue to investigate all aspects of the collision. The road on which the collision occurred, the R240 at Carrowmore, was closed for a technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators but reopened yesterday afternoon. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. Any road users who may have camera footage and were travelling in the area between 6pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday, 2nd July is asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Anyone with information is asked to contact Buncrana Garda station on 074 932 0540, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
