The Australian Embassy Head of Mission has paid tribute to young nurse Mary Ellen Molloy during a visit to Donegal.
Ms Molloy (aged 26) lost her life following a tragic road accident in Australia in December 2019.
The beloved Ardara woman was a staff nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The late Mary Ellen Molloy, RIP
The Australian Embassy Head of Mission Robert Owen-Jones visited Mary Ellen’s grave last week to lay two wreaths as a mark of respect from both the Australian people and from staff and patients at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Mr Owen-Jones’s tour around Donegal involved a number of visits to the Australian diaspora and to sites of importance to both Donegal and Australia.
This was the Head of Mission’s first regional visit outside of Dublin. During his visit, he stopped in Bundoran to meet with some of his fellow countryfolk Julian Farmer, Adam Cross, and Noah Lane from Foam, Bundoran who have made Donegal their home where he was warmly welcomed with some Australian tucker and made to feel home at in a Donegal sense of the way.
Pictured with Robert Owen –Jones Australian Embassy Head of Mission are Julian Farmer, Adam Cross, & Noah Lane from Foam, Bundoran.
This was followed by a visit to the Orphan Girls Famine Memorial at the Ballyshannon Workhouse. Mr. Owen-Jones met with local historian Anthony Begley who shared stories about the orphan girls who had left Ballyshannon to be transported to Australia during the famine. The Head of Mission placed a wreath at the memorial.
Robert Owen–Jones Australian Embassy Head Of Mission, laying a wreath at the Orphan Girls Famine Memorial in Ballyshannon to remember the 19 orphan girls who were shipped to Australia during the famine.
Travelling on to Donegal Public Service Centre, Cathaoirleach Cllr Rena Donaghey and Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr. Noel Jordan along with Chief Executive Seamus Neely and Director of Service Garry Martin formally welcomed Head of Mission Robert Owen-Jones to County Donegal. The Cathaoirleach invited the Head of Mission Robert Owen–Jones to meet with Donegal Municipal Members.
L to R Garry Martin Donegal County Council, Seamus Neely Chief Executive, Donegal County Council , Robert Owen-Jones Head of Mission , Cathaoirleach Cllr Rena Donaghey, and Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Noel Jordan.
L to R, Garry Martin, Cllr Michael Naugthon ,Cllr Tom Connaghan, Cllr Barry Sweeny, Robert Owen–Jones Australian Embassy Head of Mission, Cathaoirleach Cllr Rena Donaghey & Cllr Niamh Kennedy at Lough Eske Castle
He then went on to visit Ardara, followed by Arranmore Island, accompanied by Head of Economic Development in Donegal County Council, Anne Marie Conlon, where he had an opportunity to see how remote working can be achieved in Donegal.
In the afternoon the delegation travelled to Letterkenny to the County Museum to meet with more Australian citizens who have made Donegal their home.
Members of the Australian community living in Donegal who met with Head of Mission Robert Owen–Jones in the County Museum in Letterkenny.
The final call was to Fahan, where they were met by Cllr Albert Doherty Cathaoirleach of Inishowen MD who accompanied the group to the Mass grave at St. Mura’s Church Of Ireland were there lies the remains of two seamen who were aboard the SS Laurentic that sank in Lough Swilly on 25th January 1917 where a wreath was laid in their memory.
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