Monaghan funeral of crash victims

More than 3,000 people attended a requiem Mass in Monaghan's St Macartan's Cathedral yesterday for two of last weekend's road…

More than 3,000 people attended a requiem Mass in Monaghan's St Macartan's Cathedral yesterday for two of last weekend's road accident victims.

Mark McElvaney (15) and Darren Allister (17), both from Dunraymond, Ardaghey, near Monaghan town, were buried side by side in Latlurgan Cemetery after an emotional service.

They were killed instantly on Saturday evening when a car driven by Mr Allister was in a head-on collision with a private coach at a notorious accident "black spot" on the Ballygawley-Dungannon road in Co Tyrone.

Two other passengers in the car, a sister and brother aged 17 and 12 respectively, are said to be seriously ill in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital. Neither the bus-driver nor any of his passengers was injured.

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When the coffins emerged from the cathedral, a guard-of-honour from Clontibret O'Neills under-16 GAA team, for which Mr McElvaney played, flanked his coffin which bore the yellow and white club jersey. Both coffins were then flanked by members of Ardaghey Foroige Club who, along with Clontibret Choir, had provided the music and song at the service.