Hundreds of heartbroken mourners gather at Clonmel vigil in memory of four young people killed in horror crash

HUNDREDS gathered at a vigil this evening to remember the four young people killed in horror car crash at the weekend.

The event in Kickham Civic Plaza in Clonmel, Co Tipperary was attended by the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan and was led by the Mayor of Clonmel, Cllr Richie Molloy and local clergy.

Prayers were said throughout today at local religious ceremonies across south Tipperary following the single-vehicle smash that claimed the lives of Nicole Murphy, 18, from Ballypatrick; Zoey Coffey, 18, from Kilsheelan; Grace McSweeney, 18 and her 24-year-old brother Luke McSweeney, from Clonmel.

Nicole, Zoey and Grace had received their Leaving Cert results earlier on Friday and were being driven by Luke to meet friends in Clonmel for a planned trip to Carlow and a celebration event.

Flowers have been left at the spot on Mountain Road in Clonmel where the crash happened, outside the entrance to Hillview Sports Club, and around the corner on Raheen Road, close to the Loreto Convent which had been Nicole’s secondary school.

Prayer services also took place today at the Loreto Convent and the Presentation Secondary School, where Zoey and Grace had been pupils.

The High School in Clonmel, where Luke McSweeney was a past pupil and where some of the victims still have siblings attending, opened over the weekend to allow students and families pay their respects.

Loreto principal Anne McGrath said teachers had welcomed their students with open arms.

She said: “They’re welcoming their students in grief this time rather than in joy as we did on Friday.

“Those hugs were there on Friday in happiness (at the exam results), and today they’re in consolation.”

Ms McGrath said some of the students were on their way to Carlow to celebrate their exam results when they heard about the crash and returned home.

She said: “Some of the girls were already in Carlow, some were on the way.

“Some, ironically enough, we’re playing a football match and were on the way by car and they just said to me that they just turned around.

“They came home, their parents supported them, and they wanted to be together.

“There was a lot of unknowns initially and it was very important that they were together, so that is what they have done since then.

"That’s how they’ve gotten through until now, because they can cry and grieve together. They know how each other is feeling.”

Michael O’Loughlin, head of Presentation Secondary School, said the “devastation” of their deaths stretched beyond Clonmel to the whole Ballypatrick area.

He added there was a “huge interlink” between all the families affected.

'THERE WAS NO HOPE'

He said: “It’s just heartbreaking to get the phone call on Friday night. We were devastated. The news was so bad. There was no hope.

“And the communities of Clonmel have rallied around us, they’ve been great support, parents’ emails, messages to the school, contacting us, coming into school and supporting us and that’s what everybody needs now.

“The next few weeks are going be very tough for us all, but I know the Clonmel community will rally around us.”

Mr O’Loughlin has also asked CAO to give leeway to students from Clonmel after it makes college offers this week.

The CAO is due to issue university and college offers to school leavers on Wednesday, following the release of Leaving Cert results.

He said: “On Wednesday, the girls will get their CAO and we’ll probably be dealing with funerals as well.

“It’s going to be a big time for any student and sixth year to leave home to go to college, and now with that devastation with them, I would hope maybe the third-level colleges will be aware of this - that there will be students coming from Loreto and Pres, and they will support them as well.”

Post-mortem examinations are expected to be conducted on the four bodies at University Hospital Waterford early this week.

Meanwhile, a Mass in the crash victims’ honour will be offered and broadcast on RTE News Now at 10.30am today, according to Father Michael Toomey, who is a chaplain at CBS High School.

Members of the public will also have the opportunity to sign books of condolence at council offices from 11am today.