The funerals took place last week of three women and a ten-year-old girl, who lost their lives in what is believed to be the worst road fatality to occur outside Mullingar in half a century. All four were members of the Nigerian community in Longford, the accident leaving ten children without mothers.
The accident happened on the N4 at Portnashangan, a short distance west of the entrance to the public car park and access area to Lough Owel, at around 7.30am on Saturday, 28 June, as the four people were returning to Longford from an all night prayer vigil in Dublin. Their vehicle, a Nissan Almera, was in a collision with an SUV Kia Sorento jeep, driven by a local man, and which was travelling towards Mullingar at the time. The shocked local SUV driver did not suffer serious injuries and he was released from hospital soon afterwards.
On Thursday last, 10 July, the funeral service of the first of the four victims to be buried, 42-year-old Queenent Oligie Esezobor, took place at St. Mel’s Cathedral Centre in Longford, attended by local schoolchildren, teaching staff and local people and her husband Kingsley Esezobor was assured of every support from the community by Fr. Brendan O’Sullivan, who said they were devastated at news of the accident.
A representative from the Nigerian Embassy attended the obsequies, and Mrs. Esezobor was laid to rest after the funeral Mass in Ballymacormack Cemetery,.
The funerals of the other three accident victims, Fanny Oraweme Akenbor, sister of Mrs. Esezobor, Patience Iterie Jeeti and her 10-year-old daughter, Jessica, were expected to be held on the following days.
The fatal collision on 28 June was the worst road fatality in the Mullingar area in half a century. The previous fatality in the 1960s was also at Lough Owel, half a mile or so closer to Mullingar, involving a lorry and a car when the three people in the car lost their lives.
