Niece weds despite bereavement

SISTER JOAN Bowles had been counting down the days to her niece's wedding, but yesterday her relations had to celebrate the marriage without her.

The 59-year-old was killed when her new Ford Focus car collided with a train at an unmanned level crossing on Thursday evening.

She was collecting the wedding cake and flowers for her niece Karyn’s wedding, when tragedy struck at the Woodfarm crossing, on the main Limerick Tipperary road.

Karyn Bowles, 27, married Peter Duggan, 33, in St John’s Church Cratloe, Co Clare just hours after her aunt’s death.

Canadian-born Karyn is a teacher at St John the Baptist School in the village of Hospital in Limerick. The groom works as an insurance consultant.

The bride is the daughter of Sr Joan’s brother Syl who has worked in Canada for several years.

Several members of Karyn’s family had returned from Canada for the wedding that was planned months in advance.

The ceremony was performed by Fr Kevin O’Shea and 200 guests attended the reception at the Woodstock Hotel in Ennis.

Shocked relatives were still trying to come to terms with Sr Joan’s death when they attended the wedding.

“We are all devastated by this tragedy. She was a dynamic woman of whom we were all very proud,’’ Sr Joan’s brother Paddy said.

“We are all shocked by the death. She was a very close friend of Peter and Karyn and all of us will miss her deeply,” Mrs Duggan said.

Sr Joan was well known throughout the country through her work as director of the Limerick Youth Service.

The train driver’s union, ILDA said that problems at the Woodfarm gates had been reported by drivers on several occasions .

The ILDA also alleged that problems with the gates had sparked a dispute between local residents and Iarnród Éireann.

The union wants the Transport Minister to launch a full investigation into the accident.

Iarnród Éireann is carrying out an internal probe into Thursday’s accident.

In October 1999, truck driver PJ Bourke was seriously injured, when his 5,000 gallon milk tanker, collided with the first carriage of a train at the Woodfarm crossing.

The remains of Sister Joan Bowles are reposing at Corpus Christi Church in Moyross from 1pm to 4.30pm. today (Sat). The removal of remains is from Thompson’s Funeral Home, Thomas Street, at 7pm to St.Mary’s Church tonight (Sat).

The funeral will take place at Pallasgreen Cemetery following Requiem Mass at 2pm, tomorrow (Sunday).