Ireland

Tributes paid to Rebecca Browne (21) who died after being hit by garda car

‘She was a young hairdresser, heavenly and lovely. The life and soul of the party’

Rebecca Browne (21), from Derry, who died in Buncrana after she was struck by a Garda patrol car
Rebecca Browne (21), from Derry, who died in Buncrana after she was struck by a Garda patrol car
Mon May 22 2023 - 13:28

A young woman who died after being hit by a Garda car in Co Donegal has been described as “heavenly”.

Rebecca Browne (21), from the Galliagh area of Derry, was killed in the collision at the weekend at Ludden, near Buncrana.

Father Michael McCaughey from the Three Patrons’ Parish in Galliagh said he visited Ms Browne’s family. “No words any of us can say at this time can comfort the situation,” he said.

He said Ms Browne had gone to Buncrana with her cousin for a night out.

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“It is very daunting to hear a mother say her daughter went out on Saturday afternoon and hasn’t come home,” he told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme.

“Her mum talked about how she has lost two very special people. Her own mother died during the pandemic and now she has lost her own daughter.

“She said how her mum and aunts described Rebecca as like a porcelain doll; she loved her style.

“She was a young hairdresser, heavenly and lovely. The life and soul of the party is what they would describe her as. It is just very sad to see the pain and the heartbreak and the silence,” Fr McCaughey added.

Gardaí said they are investigating the collision, which happened at 3.15am on Sunday.

The incident has also been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

SDLP councillor Brian Tierney said the community in Galliagh is devastated.

He said: “I have known Rebecca and the Browne family for many years and they are absolutely devastated by her loss, which has touched the entire community here in Galliagh. I know everyone will rally around the family in the difficult weeks and months ahead and support them in any way they can.

“Rebecca was a lovely young woman. She was bubby, outgoing and popular and the heart and soul of her family. I visited them today to let them know that we are all thinking of them after their tragic loss.” – PA