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THE MOTHER OF four-year-old Ciaran Treacy, who died after a crash involving a drunk driver, says her whole life was shattered by the crash.
Gillian Treacy was driving home with her two sons in the back of the car when 40-year-old Finbarr O’Rourke crashed into them on April 17, 2014.
O’Rourke of Laurel Drive, Portlaoise has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and will be sentenced next week, according to RTÉ.
In an emotional victim impact statement, Treacy described the events of the tragic day:
“On Thursday 17 April 2014, both Sean and Ciaran spent the day with their grandparents, a perfect day that ended in tragedy.
“On our way home, we were involved in a head-on collision with Finbar O’Rourke.
“The collision happened within seconds, leaving me crushed and trapped in our car, unable to get my boys out of the car having to wait, which felt like an eternity, for some passers-by to help.
“While we waited for help to arrive, the panic, shock and pain was unbearable.
“I fought for my life thinking the car was going to burst up in flames at any moment, while trying to comfort both Sean and Ciaran.
They were crying and screaming with shock and pain. All of a sudden Ciaran became silent. It was a silence I had never experienced before and as a mother I knew was not right.
“I then feared the worst for Ciaran. I knew he had been badly injured, or the unthinkable – dead.
“Sean remained crying while I tried to calm him and get him to get himself and his brother out of the car, fearing that the car could go on fire at any moment.
“Thankfully as people came on the scene we were finally getting help and they phoned for the emergency services. Sean was first to be taken from the car, then Ciaran.
“Shortly after this somebody phoned my husband and held the phone to my ear where I told him what happened and to come quick.
The last sighting I had of Ciaran was him being carried to the side of the road, with the evening sun beaming through his blonde hair.The next time I saw my little boy, was on a stretcher – dead.
“Soon afterwards my husband, Ronan, also arrived at the scene with our other child Caoimhe.
“We both had to look on at our two sons on the side of the road, Sean being comforted while Ciaran was being resuscitated.
“The look of horror and disbelief on his face told me that our lives were falling apart.
“After an hour of the firemen cutting me from the car, all this time I was watching the panic and fear etched on their faces while they tried to free me from the car and as they worked on me and both my boys.
“Sean and Ciaran were taken to Portlaoise Hospital, while I was taken to Tullamore Hospital.
“I constantly asked the medical staff, was there any update on Sean and Ciaran, but I was so critical they could not tell me about Ciaran’s death.
“I was brought to theatre for my first of ten surgeries in the early hours of Friday, 18 April.
“Hours later I woke up but was being supported by a ventilator.
“Ronan and his brother Fergus arrived shortly after I woke, unable to speak because of tubes down my throat, the only way I could communicate was to make the letter ‘C’ with my finger on the sheet.
“It was then that Ronan confirmed what I already knew in my heart that Ciaran didn’t make it.
My whole life was shattered and my heart was broken when my worst nightmare had been confirmed.
Early Saturday Ciaran was brought to me on a stretcher. I tried to hold him on my best side with total disbelief, none of this made any sense.
“I spent that night with Ciaran, talking to him and making the most of our final hours together. I spoke to God about Ciaran’s favourite toys, food, colour and all the things that made him unique.
“My injuries were two fractured ankles, a compound fracture to my left leg, a fractured pelvis and hip, a fractured elbow and sternum, but the worst injury was the pain which came from my broken heart.
“Ciaran was taken from me on Sunday morning to be waked in our home.
“That was the last time I saw our little boy. I attended Ciaran’s funeral by ambulance, on a trolley with the aid of two paramedics and an ICU nurse.
It was a day that no parent should have to endure, seeing their child’s coffin, their families devastated with grief and sadness.
“The days after the funeral, I wanted answers as to what happened. I could remember the car coming towards us at speed, the colour of the car, the make of the car and part of the registration.
“Over the next few days the devastating news filtered through that the other driver was drunk, what made this worse was that he was a so-called professional driver, a representative for a confectionery company, Cadbury’s, one who should have known better.
“When it all was put together, I had been driving home with Sean and Ciaran when a drunk driver at high speed collided with our car.
“Five long weeks, ten surgeries later, I returned home. It was only then that we as a family could be together and grieve for Ciaran.
“I missed all this time away from Sean and Caoimhe, while their little minds were trying to come to terms with what happened.
“Five weeks is a long time to be separated from two very vulnerable children and a heart broken husband. Again this I will never forgive Finbar O’Rourke for.
Since then we have struggled every minute of every day trying to be parents to Sean and Caoimhe. To be able to support each other while we are paralysed with grief and in the depths of despair.
“Several milestones have taken place since. Ciaran’s ‘month’s mind’ mass took place on Ronan’s 40th birthday, instead of celebrating we were going through a repeat of Ciaran’s funeral.
“Before the collision, Halloween was a very exciting time in our house, but we had to get through it for our other children.
“Christmas, which should be a time of happiness and joy, was filled with despair and heart wrenching moments without Ciaran.
Then came the New Year, Ciaran’s Birthday – January 3rd. His 5th Birthday celebrated for him but without him, surrounded by our families, heartbroken watching Sean and Caoimhe blow out his candles.
“Then Easter we relived every minute of the time coming up to the collision. On 17 April, It was Ciaran’s anniversary, after this day we could no longer say ”This Time Last Year”.
“We have gone through hell and back since Ciaran’s death. Torn, between being parents, while we ache for our son.
“Keeping a face for Sean and Caoimhe and as the day goes on we find ourselves smothering with grief and devastation.
“Some of my darkest moments have been at night when the children slept, trying to come to terms with everything, from the trauma of the crash, the nightmares, the feeling of being on fire and the screams of my children and being unable to be a mother to them.
On nights that it was unbearable, I just wanted to die. Ronan would hold me while we both cried and ached for Ciaran.
“We have had to watch our parents, brothers and sister, nieces and nephews and extended family and friends of Ciaran go through this nightmare, the complete devastation of Ciaran’s loss.
“I have spent months torturing myself looking for reasons that would have made the outcome different.
If I had gone home earlier or later, taken another road, but through counselling I now know that this was not my fault.
“I was a mother taking her two children home to her husband and their father and our daughter to get ready for Easter. We lived our lives for our children. Everything we did was for them and our needs came last, but we were happy with that because they were our world.
“Ronan all this time had to care for me while I was non weight-bearing in a wheelchair, while I had to learn how to walk again. He had to care for Sean and Caoimhe and tried to keep our business afloat.
Since the collision we have lost our business because of the financial strain of hiring extra staff to cover both myself and Ronan’s jobs.
“I am a trained beauty therapist and had my own salon for ten years. I took a career break from my business to be a stay-at-home mother while trying to work evenings in Ronan’s shop.
“Due to financial pressure we have had to put the premises where I operated the salon from up for sale. My plan was to return to my career when Caoimhe started school but now I cannot due to my disabilities from my injuries. While Ronan tried to run the business, we had to travel to Portlaoise to bank with AIB as the Portarlington branch had closed.
“Physically every day is a struggle. I have days when I cannot function with pain. My left leg requires more surgery and if this surgery does not work I could face a lower leg amputation.
“Even though losing my leg will never be as bad as losing Ciaran. Family life will never be the same without Ciaran. We speak his name and try so very hard to include him in everything we do.
“We try to keep his memory alive with the children and they both speak of him as if he has just gone away and will come back.
“Children do not understand that death is permanent and over time they will have to come to the realisation that their brother will not be coming back.
“We as parents comfort them when they ask where Ciaran is. We tell them he lives in heaven but he still is also in their hearts.
We as parents, Sean, Caoimhe, our parents and extended family will never be able to come to terms with Ciaran’s loss. We will always wonder how life would have been.
“He never got the chance to start school, make his Communion, Confirmation, go to college, get married or have children.
“These are the things that will break our hearts even more knowing he did not get to live his life, a life that was so brutally taken through the drunken actions of Finbar O’Rourke. Again this I will never forgive Finbar O’Rourke for.
What keeps us alive are Sean and Caoimhe. They need us and it is our goal to be good parents to them and they deserve nothing less. They have suffered enough and will suffer more missing Ciaran in their lives.
“We carry on knowing we have an angel in heaven watching over us. The only glue that keeps our hearts together is Sean and Caoimhe. We all will miss Ciaran every day of the remainder of our lives.
“We thank God for four precious years with him but grieve for the life he was denied by the actions of Finbar O’Rourke, a drunk driver who shattered and devastated our family.”
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Apparently two thirds of “child” immigrants turn out to not be children when challenged.
The people who really suffer here are the genuine child immigrants.
@Damocles: A perusal of the Continental newspapers over recent weekd will show that these children have been responsible for some horrific rapes including gang-rapes.
@MackPilon: One can find anything when perusing Brietbart alright.
@Guy Incognito: Normally I ignore trolling but in your case i will make an exception “A perusal of the Continental newspapers over recent weeks” You are aware that they have newspapers on the Continent ?
@MackPilon: ‘A perusal of the Continental newspapers over recent weeks’ is no substitute for a reliable link.
I believe what the report said was two thirds of those who had their age challenged were found not to be children. Not two thirds of all child refugees.
@Brendan O’Brien:Gawd another one, try Google as there are too many links for thejournal to handle
@MackPilon: You claim that children trying to get into Britain have been involved in rapes on the Continent. You need to support that in some way; otherwise it will appear that you are trying to smear child refugees in general.
Damocles. This isn’t anything new. Do a Google on athletics cross country competitions in some African countries and there isn’t a hope some of the lads competing under age are actually underage. They are clearly fully grown adults.
It’s a very minor issue that is being used to fuel a general anti-refugee, anti-immigrant mindset and the agenda of the far right.
A minor issue? Good grief. You can be sure that if you put incorrect information on your landing card in New York or Sydney you’d be pulled up on it immediately. I think the phrase you are looking for is anti illegal immigrant rather than anti immigrant. And fraudulently entering a country by giving incorrect information whether by accident or on purpose is quite serious.
Brendan O Brien: I’m against mass immigration and 100% against refugees coming to europe, but am not far right or even just right lol!
@Ian O Connell: The left are obsessed with the idea that the evil capitalists create racism, and borders, to divide and rule the working class. So anyone paying what they deem to be an inappropriate amount of attention to something like abuses of the asylum system must be on the side of the capitalists – therefore far right. I won’t even begin to pick apart how detached from reality they are.
Far be it for me to praise the Daily Mail but they ran a similar article yesterday with actual photos. Some of these “children” were grown men!
@Martin Flood: I wouldn’t put much trust in the Daily Mail when it comes to this stuff, their record of xenophobia is mind boggling and they peddle this stuff to their followers and have done for generations. Paper never refused ink could have been coined to describe them alone.
Whatever your views of these children, or not children, or whatever, the Daily Mail is the probably the most disgraceful publication on the planet.
Joe Arthur: or probably not.
There’s others that go by the description of “sacred books” that are far more vile than the DM.
@Martin Flood: I occasionally read the Daily Mail and it feels like a cross between a creche, a zoo and a care home. You just need a big bag of salt to take regular pinches from. Good fun though unless you’re on the receiving end of their “journalism”.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: Ah here lads, youse could have warned me about all the diddys before I went to see what the fuss was about the Mail
@Joe Arthur Hardly any more Joe, especially the Irish edition of the Mail, which on social issues is quite liberal. This issue is also a problem in schools, where some migrant ‘children’ register for a school place to secure children’s allowance. Free for all open border globalism is causing a lot of problems
I have seen some of these child migrants on the BBC, some are clearly in their middle 20′s but claim to be 14 or 15.
Got to hand it to them, they have some balls………….
Sure we all did that in the days of trying to get into Hollywood nights!!!
Well, lie about your age for a chance of living like the luckty ones or go back to hell… Not the bravest decision ever. Sensible more than anything.
The onus of proof should be on the person making an asylum claim, including compliance with testing, whatever the method used to satisfy doubts.
You’re right Greg, but it’s probably racist somehow, isn’t everything racist now?
Ah racism, the curse of the unenlightened.
In Sweden, they call the phenomenon of unaccompanied minors turning out to be fully grown men; Beard Children.
Some of the “children” were approaching pension age.
And they’re all pregnant, even the men.
Is being 35 and claiming you’re 16 inappropriate and unethical?
Depends on why you’re doing it.
I suppose. Doing it to fraudulently enter a country would probably not be wise.
I’m struggling to think of a situation where somebody who’s 35 and claiming to be 16 isn’t inappropriate and unethical. Can you give us examples where it’s not, Neal?
@Beachmaster: If you’re playing Spiderman?
@Beachmaster:
Pretty sure its ok for a 35 year old to claim to be 16 on facebook
The poor little urchins, having to lie about their age to escape the terrible persecution of France.
Look at this guy. Teeth records shouldn’t be needed just common sense. But they’re sorely lacking that in Sweden and also, it would appear in the U.K.http://www.prisonplanet.com/sweden-pediatrician-says-some-refugee-children-are-actually-40-years-old.html
Same problem has existed for a long time in Europe’s asylum system. People with unknown identities, ages,criminal records and origins should not be permitted entry to any sane country. Take the 60 year old Christian woman whipped for selling alcohol in Indonesia instead. That would be both ethical and compatible with self preservation.
Do they get supplied with shavers for free with gel and aftershaves..
Shouldn’t this article read “Politicians unhappy that migrants are abusing the system”?
Or maybe “Liberal luvvies happy that migrants are abusing the system”
Yeah the jihadist’s have started arriving in Britain from calais disguised as kids, fantastic.
I’m in favour of a straight up polygraph test, should find out much more regarding truthfulness in statements made regarding background, origins, affiliations or past criminal activity…
I like the way it’s ‘unethical’ to conduct an age test, but lying on a asylum application is perfectly fine.
Every alleged asylum seeker needs to be processed before they are granted asylum in another country, it has now become a farce.
Medical ethics have a very much made-up-on-the-fly feel to them sometimes. There’s mandatory drawing of blood for all sorts of purposes, and nary a squeak about it. Is a dental X-ray to establish whether a crime is being committed really so different?
You should see some of the U10′s or U12′s or U14′s etc playing schools football each weekend. And it only benefits the oddball manager who is thrilled that his star can score multiple hat tricks against kids 5 years younger. We have been living with this for years now.
Wheres all the innocent little girls? seem to be all blokes.
Would you trust these guys around your daughter, niece, sister, mother, grand-mother, aunt ?
Any libtard that wishes to accuse me of being a racist is welcome to do so.
In Greece, a Syrian 15-year-old boy called Firas is being held in juvenile detention. He was sent on his own by his parents, who are in Turkey, because they didn’t have enough for the whole family to be smuggled in. Because hes’ not Turkish, the Turkish government won’t let him re-enter Turkey. Two activists – an American woman and her husband, who is a Syrian refugee – are hoping to become his legal guardians so that he will be released.
Many Middle-Eastern and Central Asian, e.g. Afghan, parents who originate from areas of conflict are irresponsible – they send the children on their own with people-smugglers. Therefore, it is Firas’s parents’ fault that he is apart from them. Parents who actually love their children would never do that to them.
If as claimed two thirds of the ‘children’ who claim asylum in the UK are in fact adults, then that raises obvious questions as to whether the same happens in this country. We should perform these tests here too
@Rosa Parks: No it’s something more like two thirds of those whose age is tested. The dental tests are not all that reliable anyway and Irish dentists, like the Swedes too, will probably baulk at doing it. France does bone tests I believe – another reason not to apply for asylum in France of course. There is no real getting around the fact that it’s just crazy to allow people to enter your country when you have no idea who they are.
They are fully grown adults not children!!! What the fudge!!??????
@June Rose-Sommer: It’s racist to judge their age from their photos apparently. Their feelings might be hurt over internet waves or something.
Seems logical, though some of the commenters here might not realise that living in extreme poverty does add years to your appearance . . .
Does it increase the facial hair growth?
I had teenage friends from Pakistan and so on, who looked over 20. I think their dark skins and the growth of facial hair increases how old they look
@Liviu Flore: It does happen, of course. But it’s not really about this group and a few photos. There are huge incentives for migrants to claim to be underage throughout Europe – because we quite rightly treat children travelling alone differently to adults. Including in the criminal justice system and when it comes to deportation.
And the phenomenon of migrants lying about their age is very well documented. It”s what many sensible youngish looking people would do if you were in their shoes weighing up the costs and incentives before you. The only debate in France, Sweden etc is about what to do about it. Spoiler alert: they have no idea.
Dental Plan……
Some of them adults are trying to pass as children?
I used to say i was 15 on the bus for child fare. Then say i was 21 to get into nightclubs. We are all guilty of telling these white lies. LOL
The UK is such a police state. Glad we’re nowhere near as bad as that over here
David (josef mengle )Davies. Experiment on refugees!hmm? That sounds familiar
@Gerry Fallon: And the Godwin’s Law prize for the day goes to you.
@Gerry Fallon: Its a ridiculous comparison.
It’s a joke.lighten up
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