Tributes paid after sad caravan deaths

Tributes paid after sad caravan deaths

28 January 2015

A NEWCASTLE couple who died alongside each other from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning have been remembered as a devoted and loyal couple.

Francie O’Reilly and his wife Nan are believed to have been overcome by fumes in a mobile home in Bonny’s Caravan Park where they had lived for over 30 years.

The longest permanent residents of the Tullybrannigan Road park, the O’Reillys were well known throughout the area and neighbours and friends have united to pay tribute to them.

Family members are understood to have uncovered the tragedy when they arrived at the mobile home to celebrate Nan’s birthday.

Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their respects at their funeral at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption on Saturday where Fr. Jim Crudden paid tribute to their “devotion, loyalty and encouragement.”

He said the couple felt blessed to have met and married each other. “Very rarely did you see one without the other,” he said.

“In finding each other together, they shared not only a marriage but a great friendship of 40 years.”

Francie’s niece, Joanna O’Reilly, echoed Fr. Crudden, describing her aunt and uncle as “good people.”

She said they were “genuine and caring” while Francie enjoyed a great love for “the craic.”

“He was one of the best. He was an all round star,” she said. “Francie and Nan loved living in Bonny’s. They never wanted to be anywhere else.

“I was absolutely devastated when I heard this news. It feels like the world has ended. They were good people. There was never a bad word about either of them. This is tragic.”

Francie, who was a landscape gardener by trade, helped neighbours with their gardens and also helped at Bonny’s Caravan Park, locking up the compound every evening and undertaking general caretaking duties.

One of his neighbours, Agnes Martin, said she wanted to honour the couple, who she said were at the heart of the small permanent community.

“We were all very happy together and when I moved onto the permanent site six months ago Francie was the first to welcome me,” she said.

“Francie looked after us all. He was like a father to everybody. He was the unofficial guardian of the site and was a great neighbour.”

Agnes said the entire community was devastated by their deaths.

“Every morning we had a chat and I noticed when Francie wasn’t out of the mobile on the morning they were found,” said Agnes.

“Although it was unusual, I did not suspect anything was up until Nan’s sister arrived and nobody answered the door. That is when we realised there had been a tragedy.”

Agnes said neighbours were keen to thank the emergency services and park management for their professional handling of last week’s tragedy.

Among those to help was Bonny’s Caravan Park’s manager Emlyn Williamson, who has also paid tribute to the couple.

“Francie and Nan were very well liked,” he said. “They were friends of ours and helped out across the park. He did the main garden and also would have helped anybody out.

“Francie and Nan were the longest tenants here and Francie was like an unofficial caretaker. He was very much part of the place.

“This has been a great shock to everybody.”