A VIGIL WAS held in Clonmel this evening, paying tribute to the four young people who died in a crash on the outskirts of the Co Tipperary town on Friday.
The local community remains in mourning following the unexpected deaths of Luke McSweeney (22), Grace McSweeney, Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey (all 18). The three teenagers were being brought to the party by Luke, an older brother of Grace.
Deputy Mayor of Clonmel Michael Murphy told The Journal that the vigil was being held Kickham Barracks Plaza at 6.30pm. Crowds have gathered at the location in Clonmel for a prayer vigil this evening.
Among those in attendance were classmates of Grace McSweeney, Zoey Coffey and Nicole Murphy and first responders.
Young people were seen hugging and comforting each other as the service began with a hymn.
The ceremony was led by Mayor of Clonmel Richie Molloy and local clergy.
Molloy addressed the vigil by saying that the tragedy was the worst in living memory.
He said some of the family members of the four young people who were killed in the crash were present at the vigil.
He added: “It’s very hard to know what the families are feeling this evening, and while we can imagine, it’s very hard to know.
All I can say as the mayor, the people of the town really want to show the families the feeling of unity.”
Father Michael Toomey said that everyone in Clonmel, Ballypatrick and across the country has been left speechless by the tragedy.
He added: “Particularly young people here tonight, I say the grieving process that many of you are experiencing, you’re probably going through shock or pain or denial.
“If this applies to you, then you have begun what we call the grieving journey, the journey which will have most, if not all, of these emotions at different times in the days and years ahead.”
He said that some people will be struggling to make sense of it, and wondered “why them?”
“The question we will certainly never get the answer to, not in this life anyway,” he added.
Fr Michael told the crowd that the deaths of four young people was like “a massive stone” disrupting still water, and had sent “shockwaves right across our family, our schools, our town, our country”.
He urged people in the community to “stick together” in the time ahead.
Flowers were laid in memory today and yesterday near the site of the crash, where young people who came to pay respect and support each other as they mourned the four deceased.
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, told the vigil that when his brother and sister died, he felt helpless.
He said he received consolation from the coming together of family and friends.
“It’s amazing to see so many of you here,” he said, adding that there was a “goodness” in the coming together of people to console one another.
He said people would support one another in the coming days and “find a strength in that”.
The vigil in Clonmel closed, around 7.15pm this evening, with the playing of the song Rise Up by Andra Day, prompting tears from some young people in the crowd.
President Michael D Higgins said that “the hearts of all parents and relatives, indeed the whole community, will have gone out to the families” of all four young people.
Michael O’Loughlin, principal of Presentation Convent in Clonmel – the school Grace McSweeney and Zoey Coffey attended- and Anne McGrath, principal of Loreto Secondary School, where Nicole Murphy went to school, spoke to RTÉ Radio One’s This Week this afternoon.
O’Loughlin said: “We had a chance to share their stories together yesterday and today. And that’s, I suppose, our focus now is a school and the school of Loreto to support our parents, our students, our teachers, because we’re all grieving together.
It’s just heartbreaking. To get that phone call on Friday night as both principals. We were devastated. The news was so bad. There was no hope.”
McGrath told the programme that Nicole had contacted one of her teachers on Friday to thank her for her teaching, since she had achieved a H1 in the Leaving Cert subject.
“One of the girls yesterday said, ‘If you sat down beside Nicole, she’d have great craic and [she'd say] nice comments very quickly and you’d have a laugh as well.’.”
“That’s the type of student we had,” McGrath added.
Speaking to the same programme this afternoon, Minister for Education Norma Foley passed her “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims of the crash.
“This is an unimaginable and heartbreaking tragedy,” Foley added.
Fr Billy Meehan, a local priest in Clonmel who baptised Luke McSweeney and married his and Grace’s parents, spoke of the the importance of community support at this time.
“When I got there and the guards told me who they were, I realized who they were,” Fr Billy said.
“Suddenly, it dawned on me: here was I, 24 years ago and 18 years ago – I had baptized Luke [and Grace] into the faith and sent them on their faith journey.
“And here I was giving them absolution and anointing them as they were laid out on the tarmac at Hillview,” he added.
Fr Billy said that he then understood how important it was for communities to come together, in grief and in faith, during tragic times within the locale.
Foley assured listeners to the programme that the department will assist in the grieving process with the schools and that they are “very conscious” of the number of tragic incidents that have occurred to students in the class of 2023 this year.
The identities of the deceased youngsters were publicly confirmed by gardaí yesterday afternoon as the town and the rest of the country has been hit by shock and sadness at the sad news.
Forensic investigators are examining the scene of the incident and gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information.
Family Liaison Officers have been appointed to the affected families to provide support and updates during the course of the garda investigation.
Additional reporting by Press Association, Lauren Boland and Muiris O’Cearbhaill
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