Kelly’s death devastates family

A YOUNG woman with strong Newmarket ties died in a crash in Australia in the early hours of Monday morning.

The crash claimed the life of 31-year-old Kelly Meehan, while her boyfriend, Patrick Gibbs, a native of Limerick was seriously injured.
The crash occurred on the Great Northern Highway around 500km north of Perth in the state of Western Australia, at around 2.15am local time.
It is understood Kelly and Patrick were in a car when a Toyota utility vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the road and hit them head-on.
Patrick suffered two broken legs and was brought to hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, while the driver of the other vehicle was taken to a local regional hospital.
Kelly spent much of her life in the US, where her father emigrated to many years ago. However, she spent some years in Newmarket, where she has many cousins, as well as aunts and uncles.
She lived close to Kilnasoolagh Church, where her uncle, Chris, said she had become well known.
“She would have been very well liked. She was a girl that everyone who met her would have felt they knew well. She had three younger sisters and a brother and people would have commented on how she looked after them.”
Her aunt, Pauline O’Leary, said it is a very hard time for the family, especially as they are separated from each other.
“It’s terribly sad and it’s more difficult that we’re in different countries. Her remains are in Perth, her father is in Boston and we’re here.”
She said Kelly lived in Ireland with her family for a few years before they moved back to America. After graduating from college in San Francisco, she returned to Ireland and worked in Limerick and Dublin. It was in Dublin that she met Patrick and they subsequently moved to Australia.
“She was a very spirited person and very family-oriented. She was great to her family and she enjoyed life,” Pauline concluded.