Life was good for art student, Emer O’Loughlin. At age 23 years, she and her boyfriend, Shane Bowe, had just returned from a dream trip across the world over months that took them through Europe and into Asia during 2004. On their return to County Clare, Ireland, the young couple decided to save money for a house and a family life together. Emer’s dad, Johnny, hauled a mobile home into a picturesque area called Ballybornagh, in the heart of the Burren, Clare. It was a plot of land owned by Emer’s boyfriend’s family. She wanted nothing more than to continue her studies in art and design. No sooner had she arrived back in Ireland in 2005, she received word that her application had been accepted to the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin. She was excited for the coming year. But the life of two families changed on Friday, April 8th. The couple had experienced some power supply issues to their mobile home that morning and, just before heading off to work, Shane suggested th
