The Late Laura O'Driscoll Meningitis has claimed the life of an outgoing fourteen year old Junior Cert. student from Baltimore. Laura O'Driscoll, a student at Mercy Heights Secondary School in Skibberen, who was due to sit her junior certificate examination next June, died on Saturday at the Cork University Hospital, having taken ill two days previously. Her family were unable to wake her on Thursday morning of last week and she was removed to CUH. Meanwhile, back in Skibbereen, when news of her illness was broken at Mercy Heights on Thursday afternoon, her fellow students were distraught. A special Mass called for Rath Church, at short notice, was attended by an overflow congregation from the greater Skibbereen area. Her classmates were supported by Principal, Mr Anton O'Mahony and year head, Mrs Carmel O'Driscoll, Fr Pierce and chaplain Fr Charlie. A further Mass was said in the school on Friday before news came through that Laura had taken "a turn for the worst." Meanwhile, her family maintained a constant vigil at her hospital bedside until her death. Laura was the only daughter of well-known GAA referee Seamus O'Driscoll of IIen Rovers and his wife, Adrienne ( nee Kelly of Bandon). She is survived in her immediate family by two brothers, Paul, a Leaving Cert. student of St. Fachtna's De La Salle Secondary School, Skibbereen, and Kieran, a pupil of Rathmore N.S. Baltimore. The local community rallied around the family in organising the funeral arrangements, led by Dermot Sheehy and his huge team of volunteers, who gave unstintingly of their time. There was a palpable sense of grief and disbelief among the thousands of people who filed through the Fr Owen Cashman Community Hall in Baltimore on Monday evening to pay their respects to the grief-stricken family. They came from far and wide, among them people from Armagh and Dublin who holiday in Baltimore each summer and whose teenage children knew Laura well. Guards of honour were formed by Laura's inconsolable classmates, fellow students and teachers, as well as students from St. Fachtna's and Rathmore schools, a big GAA contingent, representing the various sectors of IIen Rovers GAA Club, and also Baltimore Youth Club. Gaelic games were a huge part of Laura's life and she was an avid IIen Rovers follower, from the under age to the intermediate teams. She played some football herself and Laura's proudest moment was when she starred at centre field for Rathmore N.S. girls team when they won their section of Sciath na Scoil in 2001. She was captain of the IIen Rovers under 14 ladies football team this year. Various mementoes of her life and times were placed on her coffin, including an IIen Rovers jersey, a CD of Westlife, whom she loved, a piece of artwork ( at which she excelled), and a geography test paper in which she got an A1 grade at school. Laura was recently elected secretary of the newly formed Baltimore Youth Club. At the Requiem Mass in Rath Church on Tuesday afternoon, some mirth punctuated the grief when snippets from her diary were read out from the altar. Burial took place in Tullagh Cemetery in Baltimore afterwards. A huge spread of food and refreshments was laid out at the Community Hall subsequent to the burial for all and sundry to avail of, again emphasising the highly-commendable spirit of friends and neighbours who rallied around the O'Driscoll family in their darkest hour. No doubt, efforts will be ongoing to help the family come to terms, in the weeks and months ahead, with their immeasurable loss. May she rest in peace Courtesy of the Southern Star 18th October 2003 Tweet

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