PARENTS GRIEVE FOR DAUGHTER WHO WAS THE LEADER IN THEIR HOME
Parents grieve for daughter who was the leader in their home
Seventeen year old was expecting A level results today
THE HEARTBREAK of local couple Joe and Bridie Marlow at the loss of their beautiful daughter, Jolene, is unimaginable.
The couple who have a pub in Newtownsaville, learned of Saturday's bomb with the same sense of horror as many other people, knowing that their teenage children were in the Omagh when the bomb exploded.
Jolene, who had a part-time job in Pound Wizard, had gone to meet her sister Nickie for a late lunch. They were in the Pink Elephant when it was evacuated and like everyone else in the town on that fateful day, they wanted to watch the drama unfold.
They met up with their great aunt, and proceeded down in to the evacuation area and right into the heart of the bomb.
The no-warning explosion tore into the innocent shoppers, killing Jolene outright, and seriously injuring fifteen year old Nickie and their great aunt, 78 year old Rosie McNelis.
Jolene - the oldest of five children was due to get her 'A' level results today. The talented Loreto Grammar school pupil had sat exams in Spanish, Biology and Geography, and had already received two offers from university where she wanted to do physiotherapy.
But more than anything else Jolene loved sports and according to her proud parents, she lived for it.
Just a week earlier, Jolene's football team, St Macartan's won the senior ladies' county championship.
Earlier this year, her school camogie team was crowned Ulster champions -earning it a place in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In her bedroom at her home, a St Macartan's burgundy and yellow football shirt, an Eskra's navy and green camogie shirt, a photograph of Jolene with her boyfriend of one year - Oliver McElroy and a record of achievement adorn the bed.
Her heartbroken Dad said "She was a beautiful girl, she was a leader in this house - the rest of the family adored her and looked up to her".
"When she was nine and a half, she passed her eleven plus, she was so talented in every way. She was popular, could talk to anyone but hated anybody that was racist, she was a member of Amnesty International and could not stand that at all" said Joe.
Not able to comprehend for a minute why her lovely daughter was killed, Bridie said her daughter had a very special quality and was extra mature for her age. "The children loved her and she loved them very much".
Recalling the awful nightmare that began when that bomb exploded on the sunny Saturday afternoon, Bridie said when they heard, they immediately phoned Pound Wizard, only to be told that Jolene had not returned from lunch.
"We decided to go down to Omagh. We were diverted down to casualty and there we were told Nickie was in ward two and aunt Rosie was in the bed beside her, but we still never found Jolene.
"We didn't hear until about 4.00 in the morning" Bridie said
Nickie was airlifted to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital on Saturday where she is being treated for a broken arm, severed nerve, cuts all over her body which led to her having a blood transfusion. Rose McNelis was removed to hospital on Monday and placed on a life support machine.
Joe had the awful task of telling Nickie about Jolene's death saying "It was her first question when we went in and I had to tell her Jolene is no longer with us"
"She said she knew it, she shook her head and cried and said she knew it and she said go and worry about Jolene and not to worry about her".
Joe, who will probably never get over the death of his eldest and much cherished daughter, said "Jolene will always be on my shoulder".
And amidst the family's enormous grief, they paid tribute and called for everyone to recognise the work done by the doctors, nurses, emergency services and everyone who worked through Saturday.
The Loreto Grammar School Principal, Colm O'Neill extended his deepest sympathy to Jolene's family saying that the school was shocked and deeply saddened at the tragic and untimely death.
"Jolene was a gifted outgoing girl with a warm, friendly manner who contributed generously to the life of the school and was held in high regard by both pupils and staff.
"She was an outstanding student and we would have expected her to receive good 'A' level grades this week. She was a keen sportswoman and was a member of the highly successful ladies football team in the school".
Mr O'Neill went on to extend his sympathy to the families of other pupils in the school who were injured, and all those in the wider community who suffered bereavement or injury.
The Board of the Community Games extended its condolences to the Marlow family on the death of Jolene.
A statement from the organisation read "Jolene was well known to youngsters from around Ireland, as she had represented Tyrone for the last three years at the Community Games finals in Mosney in athletics - mainly sprints.
"This was the culmination of years of hard work and commitment by Jolene who had represented her area in local Tyrone community games events for most of her short life.
"Her parents, Joe and Bridie Marlow, were very involved in Community Games having founded the Eskra Area Community Games many years ago. Bridie also acted as Tyrone PRO up to last year.
Expressing his deepest shock and sadness, Community Games President, George O'Toole said Jolene had been a committed young athlete and a very talented young woman with life ahead of her.
"We cannot begin to imagine the intolerable grief being suffered by Joe and Bridie Marlow, sadly all we can do is state that they are in our thoughts and in our hearts at this time" said the President.
Seventeen year old was expecting A level results today
THE HEARTBREAK of local couple Joe and Bridie Marlow at the loss of their beautiful daughter, Jolene, is unimaginable.
The couple who have a pub in Newtownsaville, learned of Saturday's bomb with the same sense of horror as many other people, knowing that their teenage children were in the Omagh when the bomb exploded.
Jolene, who had a part-time job in Pound Wizard, had gone to meet her sister Nickie for a late lunch. They were in the Pink Elephant when it was evacuated and like everyone else in the town on that fateful day, they wanted to watch the drama unfold.
They met up with their great aunt, and proceeded down in to the evacuation area and right into the heart of the bomb.
The no-warning explosion tore into the innocent shoppers, killing Jolene outright, and seriously injuring fifteen year old Nickie and their great aunt, 78 year old Rosie McNelis.
Jolene - the oldest of five children was due to get her 'A' level results today. The talented Loreto Grammar school pupil had sat exams in Spanish, Biology and Geography, and had already received two offers from university where she wanted to do physiotherapy.
But more than anything else Jolene loved sports and according to her proud parents, she lived for it.
Just a week earlier, Jolene's football team, St Macartan's won the senior ladies' county championship.
Earlier this year, her school camogie team was crowned Ulster champions -earning it a place in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In her bedroom at her home, a St Macartan's burgundy and yellow football shirt, an Eskra's navy and green camogie shirt, a photograph of Jolene with her boyfriend of one year - Oliver McElroy and a record of achievement adorn the bed.
Her heartbroken Dad said "She was a beautiful girl, she was a leader in this house - the rest of the family adored her and looked up to her".
"When she was nine and a half, she passed her eleven plus, she was so talented in every way. She was popular, could talk to anyone but hated anybody that was racist, she was a member of Amnesty International and could not stand that at all" said Joe.
Not able to comprehend for a minute why her lovely daughter was killed, Bridie said her daughter had a very special quality and was extra mature for her age. "The children loved her and she loved them very much".
Recalling the awful nightmare that began when that bomb exploded on the sunny Saturday afternoon, Bridie said when they heard, they immediately phoned Pound Wizard, only to be told that Jolene had not returned from lunch.
"We decided to go down to Omagh. We were diverted down to casualty and there we were told Nickie was in ward two and aunt Rosie was in the bed beside her, but we still never found Jolene.
"We didn't hear until about 4.00 in the morning" Bridie said
Nickie was airlifted to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital on Saturday where she is being treated for a broken arm, severed nerve, cuts all over her body which led to her having a blood transfusion. Rose McNelis was removed to hospital on Monday and placed on a life support machine.
Joe had the awful task of telling Nickie about Jolene's death saying "It was her first question when we went in and I had to tell her Jolene is no longer with us"
"She said she knew it, she shook her head and cried and said she knew it and she said go and worry about Jolene and not to worry about her".
Joe, who will probably never get over the death of his eldest and much cherished daughter, said "Jolene will always be on my shoulder".
And amidst the family's enormous grief, they paid tribute and called for everyone to recognise the work done by the doctors, nurses, emergency services and everyone who worked through Saturday.
The Loreto Grammar School Principal, Colm O'Neill extended his deepest sympathy to Jolene's family saying that the school was shocked and deeply saddened at the tragic and untimely death.
"Jolene was a gifted outgoing girl with a warm, friendly manner who contributed generously to the life of the school and was held in high regard by both pupils and staff.
"She was an outstanding student and we would have expected her to receive good 'A' level grades this week. She was a keen sportswoman and was a member of the highly successful ladies football team in the school".
Mr O'Neill went on to extend his sympathy to the families of other pupils in the school who were injured, and all those in the wider community who suffered bereavement or injury.
The Board of the Community Games extended its condolences to the Marlow family on the death of Jolene.
A statement from the organisation read "Jolene was well known to youngsters from around Ireland, as she had represented Tyrone for the last three years at the Community Games finals in Mosney in athletics - mainly sprints.
"This was the culmination of years of hard work and commitment by Jolene who had represented her area in local Tyrone community games events for most of her short life.
"Her parents, Joe and Bridie Marlow, were very involved in Community Games having founded the Eskra Area Community Games many years ago. Bridie also acted as Tyrone PRO up to last year.
Expressing his deepest shock and sadness, Community Games President, George O'Toole said Jolene had been a committed young athlete and a very talented young woman with life ahead of her.
"We cannot begin to imagine the intolerable grief being suffered by Joe and Bridie Marlow, sadly all we can do is state that they are in our thoughts and in our hearts at this time" said the President.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0026
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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