Mayo town coming to terms with tragic deaths of mother and son
Family friends of a Mayo mother and son who died in a car crash in Pakistani last Thursday have been speaking for the first time about the immense sense of loss felt by the Pakistani and local community in their adopted Ballinrobe.
They explained that Nasreem Shafiq, aged 55, and her 18-year-old son, Umar, were laid to rest within hours of the tragedy in keeping with the funeral rites of their Islamic faith.
It has emerged Nasreem and her husband, Mohammed, who survived the impact, had been on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia about a week before they travelled to Tariqabad, Faisalabad, where the tragedy occurred last Thursday.
Umar, who completed the Leaving Certificate at Ballinrobe Community School last month, did not accompany his parents to Saudi Arabia but joined them later for what was intended as a family holiday in Pakistan.
Mohammed is a valued employee of Jennings’ Meats, Ballinrobe, and he and his family are held in high standing in their adopted town.
According to Tahir Shafiq, Mohammed is out of hospital but on medical advice won’t be fit to return home to Ballinrobe for six weeks or more.
A book of condolences has been opened in the oratory of Ballinrobe Community School, where Umar was highly regarded as a pupil.
The book of condolences has been open every day this week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
A steady flow of people, including Umar’s former classmates, and players and supporters of Ballinrobe Football Club, have been signing since Monday to sign the condolence book.
Umar was an outstanding soccer goalkeeper and was predicted to have a bright future as a player.
William Culkeen, principal of Ballinrobe Community School, which will have an enrolment of almost 850 pupils when it reopens in September, described Umar as “a model pupil, hardworking, dedicated and popular with both students and staff."
Mr. Culkeen continued: “His entire family have been highly regarded in this town."
Former classmates have been signing the book of condolence recalling Umar as fun to be with, a hardworking student who had a part time job with Supervalu in Ballinrobe and who had future ambitions to become an electrician.