A heartbroken fiancee whose groom-to-be was killed in a horrific car crash paid him a final farewell by wearing the wedding dress she never got to wear to his funeral yesterday.
Devastated Kate Quilligan donned her satin dress to say goodbye to fiance Myles “Miley’ Harty, who was killed on Saturday in a horror crash, just hours before he was due to marry his sweetheart.
Harty, 20, died on impact when the car he was travelling in hit a pole around 1am on Saturday morning on a country road.
Yesterday, Mrs Harty to-be, her family and loved ones buried Myles after a funeral in the church where they were supposed to say their wedding vows.
Kate said in a social media post that they are now husband and wife, according to a report in the Irish Mirror.
A video showed a grieving Kate, flanked by her parents, wearing her wedding dress, wedding attire and holding her wedding bouquet outside a house with a photo of Myles behind her.
Her dad said to the camera: “Myles this is all Kate wanted her whole life, Miley Harty. She got dressed and she is going into you one last time.” He then says: “Miley, I will never forget you, you are the boss,” as he leans in to kiss Kate.
Heartbroken Kate admitted yesterday was “the hardest day of my life”.
She paid tribute to her “brownie” and wrote: “Hardest day of my life today, but I know you’re with me every step of the way. I just really hope you know what I thought of you.”
On Saturday at 3pm, hours after Myles had died and when the pair were due to marry, Kate let off balloons at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick, supported by family and friends.
Writing on social media a heartbroken Kate said: “I know you are minding me from heaven. Your first night up there baby. And also you finally got me to be your wife.
“From this day forward we are husband and wife, that’s what we both wanted,” Kate vowed.
Just weeks before his untimely and tragic death Harty, from Askeaton, Limerick, took to Facebook to share a post among his friends - warning them to drive safe.
Tragically, the young man, who is a member of the travelling community posted on Facebook, July 22nd, saying: “You can replace a car but you can’t replace one of the boys, drive safe lads.”
A teenager, who gardaí believe was driving the car, was arrested by gardaí on suspicion of committing an offence under the Road Traffic Act.
He has since been released without charge.
A third man, who was a back seat passenger in the car, a silver Skoda hatchback, was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick with “non life-threatening” injuries.
Meanwhile, parish priest Fr Sean O’Longhaigh warned young men of the “danger” and “risks” associated with driving on our roads, adding that, cars are a “lethal weapon”.
Speaking about road safety in a general sense, he told mourners: “I want to make an appeal to our young people, because accidents are avoidable; cars a wonderful gift, a great amenity, but they are also a lethal weapon.
“And so, the plea, that I’m sure many of us here would make, is to be aware of the danger to yourself and others when you drive a car — you are all too important to us to lose you.”
Gardai investigating the fatal crash have appealed for witnesses and any dash-cam footage from vehicles on the R518 Askeaton to Rathkeale road.
Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland limit funeral numbers to 50 people, however, it appeared in reports that guidelines had not been followed at the funeral yesterday.
