Journalist and daughter, 10, die after road accident in Ireland

independent.co.uk

A journalist who wrote for The Independent for a spell was killed in a road accident and her 10-year-old daughter died of her injuries four days later.

Nell Raven and Irena “Ira” Raven Mereacre died following the crash in Co Cavan in Ireland.

Ms Raven, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene at the R162 at Corclare last Friday evening.

Irena was airlifted to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin and died from her injuries on Tuesday.

Tributes have been paid from across the Cavan community to them both.

The principal of Milltown National School in Cavan, where Ira was a popular pupil, has launched a fundraising campaign to support Ms Raven’s husband, Alexandru Mereacre, and Ira’s sisters, Eveline (Evey) Margalla Kemp and Violet Elizabeth Kemp.

Originally from England, Ms Raven worked as a journalist before completing a master’s degree in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. She wrote for The Independent 10 times between 1999 and 2002.

After moving to Co Cavan, she became an Irish citizen and friends said she was an active member of the community.

She had spoken about overcoming cancer, describing how the experience had strengthened her appreciation of family, community and life itself.

Photographer Lorraine Teevan, who knows the family, said Ira was well known for her love of Irish dancing, and on the day of the collision she had represented her local community through dance.

She had also represented County Cavan in RTÉ’s Late Late Toy Show County Parade, “an experience that brought her immense pride”.

The GoFundMe campaign was established to ease financial pressures facing the family.

Gardai have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the collision near Shercock to come forward.