Families mourn deaths of two friends

TWO families yesterday paid special tribute to the two students killed in a road accident in Portugal.

Paula O’Neill, aged 21, from Douglas, Cork and Aisling O’Loughlin, aged 22, from Rochestown, Cork, died when their car was struck by a train at a level crossing near Fao, the provincial capital of the Algarve.

The two third year students at University College Cork were studying marine ecology at the University of the Algarve as part of an Erasmus exchange programme. A 48-year-old German teacher travelling in the car was also killed and two Portuguese nationals, who were passengers in the car were seriously injured.

The families of the two students were being comforted by friends and relatives yesterday.

Bláthnaid O’Loughlin described her sister as an “amazing, bright, bubbly, intelligent person”. The 22-year-old is survived by her parents, Mary and Joe, her older sister and younger brother, Joseph.

“Although she had many adventures living in Dublin or travelling in Europe, she was always very safety-conscious. She was a unique person who had no fear of doing anything. We never had any worries or fears when she was away because she always took every safety precaution possible. For something like this to happen - outside of her control - is just not fair.”

Paula O’Neill was the youngest of a family of four. Her mother, Pauline, said her daughter was a “sweet, fun-loving girl”: “She was always up to something. She was my baby and she never caused us a minute’s trouble. She packed two lives into her 21 years.”

The level crossing near Fao is regarded as dangerous by locals and it is believed visibility was poor when the accident took place.

The two students were just weeks into their Erasmus programme and were due to return home in October to complete their final year in UCC.

A minute’s silence was observed for the two women yesterday at the medical and nursing conferring ceremonies at UCC.

“Today, our thoughts are with the students’ families and friends as they begin to mourn the loss of their cherished Aisling and Paula whose young lives have been so sadly cut short,” said UCC president Professor Gerard Wrixon. The UCC Students’ Union has opened a book of condolence and is offering counselling to friends of the two students. A prayer service in the college’s Honan Chapel will be organised later in the week.