The funeral of a 14-year old girl killed in an early morning Bank Holiday crash in Galway will take place in Headford this Friday.
Kirsty Bohan, a second year student at Presentation College, Headford, will be laid to rest in Donaghpatrick Cemetery following her requiem mass the Church of St Patrick and Cuana at 12 noon on Friday.
Funeral details for the other 14-year old killed in the accident have yet to be announced. Lukas Joyce from Annaghdown was also a second year Presentation College student,
Kirsty, from Ballyfruit close to where the single vehicle accident happened at 5.45am on Monday morning, is survived by her parents Christy and Theresa, and her sisters Martha and Ava, who are also students at Presentation College Headford.
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Lukas died at the scene and Kirsty was pronounced dead at University Hospital Galway.
Two others involved in the incident are being treated for multiple injuries.
Another second year student in the school, a 14-year-old girl from Headford, has been transferred from University Hospital Galway to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for treatment.
A 13-year-old boy from Headford, a first year student at the school, is also in a serious condition at University Hospital Galway.
Relatives and friends have been comforting the four families involved.
The school has adopted its critical action plan and opened on Tuesday to offer support to classmates, friends and students.
Headford parish priest Fr Ray Flaherty told of how the community has been “totally numbed and shocked into disbelief” by the tragedy.
“We think we’re invincible, but lives can be taken in tragic circumstances,” he said on RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.
Local representative Cllr Andrew Reddington said the whole community had been traumatised by the crash, and there was a sense of heartache for the two families who were well known and respected. Cllr Reddington also urged the community to be mindful and for parents to be aware of what their children were posting online.
“The families need the time to grieve,” he said, adding the tragedy was “one of the worst incidents I remember happening in the area... It’s going to be extra tough in the next few weeks.”
Gardaí at Tuam are continuing their investigations into the single-vehicle crash which happened just outside Headford at 5.45am on Monday morning. Gardaí asked for anyone with information to contact them at Tuam at 093 70840.
The chairwoman of the board of management of Presentation College Headford, Cllr Mary Hoade, said the school has implemented its critical incident response protocol to provide support services for students and their families.
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The school opened for a number of hours on Tuesday for counselling support, although classes will not return until after the Easter break next Monday. The supports at the school will remain in place for the remainder of the week.
“We’re here to support school families. This is a very strong local community and they will help in any way they can,” Cllr Hoade said.
“We are deeply shocked and deeply saddened. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and the injured and also with their friends and classmates. It is unbelievable what has happened.
“Everyone is numb and we just need to put as many support networks in place.”
The board of management sent a letter to parents on Monday night in which it emphasised its commitment to providing support at a “terribly tragic and confusing time”.
Parents were urged to be aware of the impact the tragedy could have on their children and to take time to listen and to discuss any concerns they may express in the coming days.
The letter also suggested parents and guardians should monitor their children’s use of social media, to engage with them about material they view, and to emphasise the need for them to be “extremely sensitive and careful about what they post”.
In a statement, the Department of Education said it joined with the community of Headford in mourning the death of the two students.
“Our thoughts are with the families who are mourning the loss of their children, and with the students and their families who are currently receiving care in hospital following the incident.”
The crash happened on a narrow stretch of road at Pollacullaire on the L6127 at Glennagarraun in the Ballyfruit area of Headford. No other vehicle was involved and it is believed their car may have collided with a tree. There had been heavy rain throughout Sunday and overnight in the area.