JOLENE'S LAST JOURNEY
Jolene's last journey, Eskra's tragedy
By Brendan Anderson
in Eskra
SHE should have been out walking in the rare August sunshine yesterday; she should have been excited about her A-level results, due out today.
But teenage schoolgirl Jolene Marlow should not have been in a coffin making her final journey to St Patrick's Cemetery.
The people of Eskra turned out in their hundreds to mourn the bright, lively young athlete, who was snatched from their midst last Saturday. Family and friends broke down in tears as the jerseys of her camogie and football teams were pinned to her coffin outside the family home at Newtownsaville.
A guard of honour, made up of teammates from Eskra Emmets camogie club and St McCartan's football team, lined the road to St Patrick's Church. In the church grounds Jolene's friends from Loreto Convent School stood silently in their brown uniforms.
Jolene's little sister Nikki was still in Belfast City Hospital recovering from her wounds, but her classmates, each clutching a white carnation, came to pay tribute to the young woman described by her parish priest as "an exemplary and beautiful child."
St Patrick's Church was packed to overflowing and hundreds of mourners, many in tears, stood in the church grounds and followed the requiem mass over the public address system.
A video film of the funeral and mass was made to show to little Nikki when she is well enough.
Parish priest Father Terence Connolly, whose con celebrants included Bishop Joseph Duffy, welcomed Church of Ireland minister the Rev Brian Bower, from "across the religious divide."
"This morning the divide does not exist. We are united in grief and sorrow."
"We escaped, for so many years, the troubles here, and thank God for that. We thought we were home and dried. Then out of the blue came the big bang."
Father Connolly said almost twenty years of "needless, ceaseless, senseless pain and suffering" had followed the Pope's plea in Drogheda when he begged for arms to be laid down.
"That did not happen, but if we had listened to the word of God many lives would not have been lost."
Father Connolly said Jolene had been awaiting her exam results and had hoped to study physiotherapy at Jordanstown. "I think God will give her straight As in heaven and welcome her to his kingdom," he said.
Jolene is survived by her mother and father, Bridie and Joe Marlow, brothers Paul, Rory and Niall and sister Nikki.
By Brendan Anderson
in Eskra
SHE should have been out walking in the rare August sunshine yesterday; she should have been excited about her A-level results, due out today.
But teenage schoolgirl Jolene Marlow should not have been in a coffin making her final journey to St Patrick's Cemetery.
The people of Eskra turned out in their hundreds to mourn the bright, lively young athlete, who was snatched from their midst last Saturday. Family and friends broke down in tears as the jerseys of her camogie and football teams were pinned to her coffin outside the family home at Newtownsaville.
A guard of honour, made up of teammates from Eskra Emmets camogie club and St McCartan's football team, lined the road to St Patrick's Church. In the church grounds Jolene's friends from Loreto Convent School stood silently in their brown uniforms.
Jolene's little sister Nikki was still in Belfast City Hospital recovering from her wounds, but her classmates, each clutching a white carnation, came to pay tribute to the young woman described by her parish priest as "an exemplary and beautiful child."
St Patrick's Church was packed to overflowing and hundreds of mourners, many in tears, stood in the church grounds and followed the requiem mass over the public address system.
A video film of the funeral and mass was made to show to little Nikki when she is well enough.
Parish priest Father Terence Connolly, whose con celebrants included Bishop Joseph Duffy, welcomed Church of Ireland minister the Rev Brian Bower, from "across the religious divide."
"This morning the divide does not exist. We are united in grief and sorrow."
"We escaped, for so many years, the troubles here, and thank God for that. We thought we were home and dried. Then out of the blue came the big bang."
Father Connolly said almost twenty years of "needless, ceaseless, senseless pain and suffering" had followed the Pope's plea in Drogheda when he begged for arms to be laid down.
"That did not happen, but if we had listened to the word of God many lives would not have been lost."
Father Connolly said Jolene had been awaiting her exam results and had hoped to study physiotherapy at Jordanstown. "I think God will give her straight As in heaven and welcome her to his kingdom," he said.
Jolene is survived by her mother and father, Bridie and Joe Marlow, brothers Paul, Rory and Niall and sister Nikki.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0108
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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