THE whole of Ireland is mourning after the “truly devastating” deaths of four youngsters in the Clonmel car crash, the Taoiseach said.
Shocked Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins led tributes to tragic siblings Luke and Grace McSweeney and pals Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey who were killed in the freak single-vehicle smash in the Tipperary town.
The teenage girls, all aged 18, had just received their Leaving Cert results and were being driven by 24-year-old Luke to meet friends for a planned party when they were killed on Friday night.
And with the country left reeling by their heartbreaking deaths, the Taoiseach spoke of a wave of grief across the island.
Emotional Leo said: “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the tragic incident in Clonmel.
“Leaving Cert results night should mark the beginning of a world of opportunities for young people. It’s a milestone on the road from childhood to adulthood.
“For young lives, so full of possibility, to be cut short in this way is truly devastating and heartbreaking. The whole nation mourns them.”
The Fine Gael leader added: “My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and the wider community in Clonmel and Tipperary.
“The thoughts of the whole country are with them, their school and their community. I am assured that the school authorities and HSE will work together to put in place the necessary supports for their classmates and community.
“We must come together in times such as this.”
President Higgins described the grief that’s hit the Clonmel area as “nearly unbearable”.
He said: “The hearts of all parents and relatives, indeed the whole community, will have gone out to the families of Zoey Coffey, Nicole Murphy and Luke and Grace McSweeney, who lost their lives in a traffic accident in Co Tipperary.
“The grief that has been expressed by the community is nearly unbearable.
“And I send my deepest sympathies to their families, their whole community, those in their year in school and the whole school, its pupils and management.”
The Clonmel tragedy follows a recent crash in which two pupils lost their lives on the way to their debs less than a month ago.
Best pals Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, were killed when the car they were travelling in left the road and hit a tree on the N54 near their home town of Clones, Co Monaghan, on July 31.
Gardai revealed liaison officers have been appointed to each of the Clonmel families to provide support and to keep them updated with the course of the investigation.
Fr Michael Toomey spent time with the victims’ grieving relatives and visited the crash scene, close to the entrance of a sports club.
The local priest said: “No words can give comfort at this time.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families who suffered a terrible loss in this terrible accident. The families are devastated and in deep shock at the moment.
“We must keep them in our thoughts and our prayers, and indeed the community has been doing that.”
Fr Toomey paid tribute to gardai and emergency crews who attended the harrowing scene on Friday night as he highlighted how the community had rallied around the bereaved families.
He said: “All the emergency services were fantastic last night. Obviously it is something they never want to see or deal with. As a community we are devastated and shell-shocked.
“A number of events here this weekend or in nearby villages have all been cancelled now as a mark of respect. We are just looking out at the moment and my job now is to coordinate with the schools, their friends and immediate family to come have a safe space to gather and to grieve.
“It’s a sudden heartbreak. It’s something you can’t put into words.”
Fr Toomey also joined cops in appealing for graphic images of the aftermath of the crash not to be shared on social media.
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan also laid bare how the Clonmel area had been left “numb”.
He added: “Together, with the whole community of the people of Clonmel, the diocese and throughout the country, we will be there to stand beside and support the heartbroken and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Tanaiste Micheal Martin branded the crash “heartbreaking”, saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, classmates, the first responders, and the entire community today.”
And Education Minister Norma Foley declared she was “saddened beyond measure” to learn of the four youngsters’ deaths.
The Fianna Fail TD said: “School communities in Ireland are akin to tight-knit families.
“I know that staff, students, parents and guardians will be united in their grief and utter devastation at this tragic and sudden loss of life.”
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris spoke of the “grief, shock and sadness” experienced on what should have been an exciting day.
He said: “Leaving Cert results day represents achievement, celebration and excitement.
“That has been replaced by grief, shock and sadness . . . there are no words. Heartbreaking.”
Clonmel’s Mayor, Cllr Richie Molloy, revealed many teenagers in the town were planning to attend a bash in Carlow on Friday night but cancelled their plans after hearing of the tragedy.
He said: “There was a big party planned that a lot of the children from the various secondary schools were going to attend, including the young lads here, and that turned so quickly into tragedy.
“As a parent myself, I can only imagine what they are going through. Clonmel is a town of about 20,000 but everyone knows each other.”
Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath, whose office is based in Clonmel, described the road tragedy as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.
He said: “There is disbelief and numbness. The families involved are all local, from Clonmel and the surrounding area. It is utterly devastating.
“Sometimes there are just no words strong enough to express the sadness and horror of such an unthinkable tragedy for the families and friends of the four young lives taken far too soon.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and school communities in Clonmel and to our emergency services personnel who had to respond to such an unimaginable scene.
“A time of celebration has turned to a time of devastation.”
He added: “The community of Clonmel have been left numbed by the loss of four young lives as they prepared to celebrate the next chapter in their lives and will take some time to recover.
“But I have no doubt that the community will rally around the families and friends of the deceased at this most difficult time.” Fellow Independent TD for Tipperary Michael Lowry said the area was “overcome with shock and sadness”.
He said: “My thoughts at this time are with the parents and families of these young people, with their friends and fellow pupils and with the staff at the three schools they had just recently graduated from in Clonmel.
“The closely knit community of Clonmel and people across the entire county of Tipperary and beyond will rally to offer every possible support to the families and friends in the very difficult days, weeks and months that lie ahead.”
A book of condolence will be opened tomorrow at Tipperary County Council’s offices in Clonmel.
