ABC Mayor leads tributes following 'devastating' road tragedy and expresses gratitude to emergency services
Monday’s (February 23) ABC Council meeting started in poignant fashion, with heartfelt tributes being paid to the three people who died in a crash near Charlemont and Moy last Saturday evening, and to the school bus driver who died following a collision on Tuesday of last week.
Conor Quinn, 31, from Derrylaughan, County Tyrone, John Guy, 48, who was originally from Dublin but livi ng in Keady, and 23- year-old Laura Hoy-Henry, from Cookstown, all died at the scene on Saturday evening (February 21).
They were all travelling in the same car. Other people were injured in what was a three-vehicle crash.
Meanwhile, John McSorley, a father of five, was driving 40 children from St. Paul’s High School in Bessbrook along the Tullyah Road on Tuesday of last week (February 17), when he fell ill behind the wheel and later died at the scene of the crash.
ABC Lord Mayor, Alderman Stephen Moutray commented: “I want to speak in relation to the tragic road traffic accident that happened near Charlemont on the main Armagh-to-Moy Road on Saturday night.
“Unfortunately, three people lost their lives, and three more were hospitalised, and as a result of this accident, many children have lost parents. Our thoughts are with the families of those who perished on Saturday night in such a tragic accident.
Terrible Scene
“Our thoughts are also with the first responders, namely the Police, the Ambulance Service, Fire and Rescue, and anyone else involved that came on that terrible scene.”
Cllr Scott Armstrong (Armagh DEA) also had a thought for the victims: “I want to be associated with your remarks, and to extend my own thoughts to the families of Conor Quinn, John Guy and Laura Hoy, as well as those who were injured in the tragic accident on the Armagh-Moy Road on Saturday evening.
“At times like this, words feel inadequate. This is a devastating loss for the families directly affected, and for the wider community.
“We’ve learned that 11 children have lost parents in this crash, and it is impossible to comprehend the pain that they’re experiencing. It is pertinent that we keep these children in our thoughts and prayers in the weeks and months ahead.
“Incidents such as this remind us of the fragility of life, and how everything can change in a single moment. I would urge everyone to remember the importance of road safety, and of looking out for one another whilst on the roads.
“I note from the statement that the police are still appealing for witnesses, dashcam footage and any information that may assist their investigations.
“In closing, I also want to express my gratitude to our emergency services, the Ambulance Service, the Fire & Rescue Service, and the Police Service for everything they did on Saturday evening.
“They are often the ones that carry the emotional burden of responding to tragedies like this, and I hope they too are receiving the support that they need and deserve.”
Cllr Thomas O’Hanlon (Armagh DEA) echoed the sentiment expressed by his two council colleagues, and he also had a thought for the bus driver who tragically died on Tuesday of last week.
Heartfelt Sympathies
He commented: “Can I join with you in extending my heartfelt sympathies to the families of John Guy, Conor Quinn and Laura Hoy-Henry, who lost their lives at the weekend.
“Can I also add to that John McSorley, the bus driver from Keady who passed away last week, in an accident outside Newry.
“No words that we can say in this chamber tonight can express the shock, the sadness, and the devastation of the families involved.
“In relation to John, Conor and Laura, they were out on a Saturday evening and they didn’t come home.They were all parents to young children, they were loved and adored.
"Their families and communities have been torn apart in the blink of an eye, and my heart goes out to their families, where mummy and daddy aren’t there now for the big occasions, or for the little things that you want to tell them happened that day at school or at work.
“John Guy, while a Dublin man, came to settle in Keady. His children and family lived in the town, and I offer them the thoughts and prayers of the Keady and wider community tonight.
“And so too to the family of John McSorley, also from Keady, who passed away last week. John was a bus driver, and he was more than that, he was a talented musician and a friend to many. I got to know him through constituency work and he definitely was a character.
“Last Tuesday, the school bus John was driving left the road with 40 children on board, from St. Paul’s High School in Bessbrook. It’s believed John fell ill behind the wheel and later died at the scene of the crash. His death too was tragic.
"He was a father, a brother, an uncle and a friend. But even his family will admit that things could have been so much worse, for his last act on this Earth was to do everything he could to ensure the safety of all the children on board that bus, as it left the road.
“Thankfully he succeeded. The children were unharmed, but that doesn’t take away the loss of John.
“Schoolchildren and his colleagues from Quinn Coaches formed a guard of honour at his funeral in Keady yesterday. They paid their tribute and said thank you in their own way. “These families have lost loved ones that no one can ever replace. May God protect them and their families now, and in the time ahead.”
François Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter