THE four young women killed in the worst car crash in recent memory made a fateful last-minute decision to go Christmas shopping just hours before their tragic deaths.

The fifth occupant and driver of the car was clinging to life after being transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin last night.

Because of the terrible weather, the women decided not to go back to their rented home on the docks in Galway city, but to go instead to Sligo and do their Christmas shopping.

Marie Conneely from Baile na hAbhann in Connemara, Co Galway, Teresa Molloy, from Leitir Mor, Galway, Sarah Byrne from Headford, Co Galway, and Sorcha Rose McLaughlin from Mulgannon in Co Wexford, died when their Peugeot car crashed into a pick-up truck.

The driver of the car, Michelle O’Donnell, from Kilronan on Inishmore in the Aran Islands, was fighting for her life last night.

Devastated

The driver of the pick-up truck – Pat Kelly from Ballindine, Co Mayo – was released from hospital yesterday afternoon.

The crash occurred shortly before 8pm on Tuesday night on the N17 between the villages of Milltown, Co Galway, north of Tuam and Ballindine, Co Mayo.

The devastated families of the young students last night spoke of the horrific moment when they learned of the women’s deaths.

Maria Walsh, a first cousin of Teresa Molloy (19), said Teresa’s boyfriend was the first to realize that something had happened.

Christopher Griffin, a fisherman who had been dating Teresa for four years, heard about the crash from his mother, who had heard it on the news.

“His mother heard it on the news and she called Christopher straight away,” Maria told the Irish Independent.

“He tried to call her and couldn’t get an answer. Then he tried all the other girls and couldn’t get them. That’s when they knew.”

The girls were formally identified after a garda neighbour, whose daughter Teresa babysat, came on the scene and realized he knew the girls involved.

The five girls lived together in Galway city and studied Irish and Translation – with Sarah studying Irish and Geography - as part of the Arts course in NUIG.

Maria said it was “fate” that they drove to Sligo that day, as Teresa never missed a day of college.

“They drove into college but they couldn’t find a parking space,” she said. “It was a horrible day, wind and rain, and they didn’t want to drive back into the docks to try and park at the house again. They’d been talking about going to Dublin to go Christmas shopping.

“But for some reason they decided that day to go to Sligo.”

She said it was highly unusual for Teresa to skip college as she would always go, regardless of the weather.

“She was such a perfectionist that an essay she had due later this week is already done and sitting on her desk,” she added.

Her aunt Noreen said Teresa “looked after” the other girls. She didn’t drink or smoke and always made sure her friends made it up in the morning for college.

Homebird

Survived by her parents, Cathy and Pat, sisters Jamie, Susan and Christina, she was described as a “homebird” who came home every weekend.

Teresa had hoped to study to be a primary school teacher when she finished her arts course next year.

She will be buried in the graveyard just yards in front of the family home.

Marie Conneely (19), who lived just a few miles away and had gone to secondary school with Teresa, also wanted to be a teacher.

Her mother, Noirin Conneely, said Marie had planned to go to Edinburgh next year to study to become a primary school teacher.

“She was loved by all,” she said from her home last night.

Her brother Ciaran said he was very protective of his only sister.

She worked at weekends at the local shop and he said she often came home on a Thursday evening and only returned to Galway on a Monday morning.

“She came home every weekend,” he said. “She was all about her family.”

Her uncle, Padraig Conneely, said the family had to identify the bodies on Tuesday night at the morgue.

“The atmosphere in there would have split a stone,” he said.

“There were two bodies, two best friends, lying side by side. I never want to see anything like that ever again.”

Marie is survived by her parents Noel and Noirin, and brothers Padraig and Ciaran.

Meanwhile, the family of Sorcha Rose McLoughlin (19) had to make the heartbreaking journey from Wexford to Galway after being told of the horrific tragedy.

Originally from the west of Ireland, the family had been living in Mulgannon in Wexford for a number of years.

Sorcha attended Kennedy Park primary school in the parish of Clonard, Wexford, before going on to the Loreto Secondary School in Wexford.

“We remember her very fondly,” secondary school principal Billy O’Shea said.

“She was very popular with her classmates and had a very friendly disposition.”

Shocked students, many of whom knew Sorcha from her days in the school, were told the news about the crash at assembly yesterday morning and prayers were said in memory of the young woman.

“There was quite an amount of upset,” Mr O’Shea said. “A lot of them would have been in the school with her and a number of them are neighbours of hers in Wexford.”

Unbelievable

Kennedy Park primary school chaplain Fr Martin Doyle said everyone in the area was “very upset” after news broke of the tragedy.

“It’s very tragic and sad,” he told the Irish Independent. “It’s just unbelievable.”

He said the McLoughlins were originally from the Galway area. “Most of their family are on that side of the country and they’re here, so that geographical distance won’t make it easy for them.”

The fourth victim, Sarah Byrne (20), was in the same college and she had known Teresa and Marie for many years.

The three became friends after attending the No Name youth club together.

Sarah had worked part-time at Keady’s Supermarket in Headford while also studying Irish and Geography at NUIG.

Many of the staff at the shop were distressed yesterday as the news of her death spread.

Local county councillor Mary Hoade said Sarah’s loss would be felt by everyone in the area.

“She was just a lovely young girl and it is such a tragedy for her parents and for all the families involved in this terrible accident,” Cllr Hoade said.

She lived with her parents, Tom and Tina, and her only brother at the family home on the Cong Road, just outside Headford.

Injuries

Last night, the owner and driverof the car, Michelle O’Donnell (21), remained in a critical condition. Her parents, John and Nora, were at her bedside. The young woman sustained severe chest and head injuries in the head-on collision.

Just a few weeks ago the four deceased friends had all travelled to Michelle’s home at Kilronan on Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands, to celebrate her 21st birthday on the island.

Her father John is coxswain of the Aran Islands’ lifeboat and he and his wife had to endure appalling weather conditions as they made their way to the mainland to be with Michelle in the hours following the crash.

In a statement last night, NUIG said the thoughts and prayers of the entire university community were with Michelle’s family and friends.

The university also expressed its appreciation of the many messages of sympathy received from other institutions and from members of the public.

Flags at NUIG flew at halfmast as a mark of respect throughout the day.

- Edel Kennedy, Brian McDonald and Conor Kane