A Dublin woman who died in a bus crash in Dubai last week will be laid to rest this Friday.
Fiona Geraghty, a native of Balbriggan in North Dublin, was one of 17 people who perished when the bus collided with a low hanging warning sign.
The young woman was a teacher at St Molaga's National School in Balbriggan and was taking a year out with her partner Fiachra who was injured in the crash.
A death notice on RIP.ie reads: "It is with broken hearts that we announce the death of Fiona Geraghty, beloved daughter of Christopher and Mary and sister of David and Robert. Tragically, following an accident in Dubai.
"Fiona will be very sadly missed by her loving parents, brothers, partner Fiachra, aunts, uncles, cousins and a very wide circle of friends, teachers and pupils of St. Molaga's National School, Balbriggan and School of Research Science, Dubai."
Fiona's funeral will take place in S.S. Peter & Paul's Church in Balbriggan on Friday at 10am followed by burial in Balrothery Cemetery.
A family friend told the Irish Independent that Fiona's parents had been celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in Lanzarote when they learned that their "pride and joy was gone" .
The heartbroken pal added: "She was a lovely, bright, young, intelligent girl, who loved life. Fiona was just out in Dubai for a year with her boyfriend trying to save. I’m just devastated. I feel for her family - I’m numb.”
It's understood that Fiona and her partner - who met when they were both students at St Patrick’s College Drumcondra - had recently decided to extend their year off for another 12 months.
The bus was en route from Dubai to Muscat, Oman, when tragedy struck in the Al Rashidiya district near Dubai Airport.
The coach was carrying 31 passengers when it smashed into a sign warning drivers about maximum vehicle heights.
A photo posted on Twitter by Dubai Police shows the wrecked shell of the vehicle. In an image released by Dubai Police, the roof of the left side of the bus appeared to have been severely damaged while the right side remained mostly still intact.
There were 15 victims killed on impact, including the bus driver in his 50s. Twelve of those killed are reported to be Indian.
Another five were taken to hospital where two were later confirmed dead.
