The funerals of two of the victims of last Saturday week's car crash in Co Laois took place at the weekend. Lorraine Bowe (17) was buried on Saturday following midday Mass in her native village of Shanahoe, near Abbeyleix, while Fergal Hanlon (21) was buried yesterday in Ballacolla following 11 a.m. Mass in Mountrath. Several hundred people attended each service.
The two young people died in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, last Wednesday following the accident in which three of their friends were killed in the early hours of Saturday, June 13th.
Aoife Carroll (17), Raymond Cuddy (21) and Matthew Peters (20) were buried last week. Three other people are being treated in Portlaoise General Hospital, while Raymond Cuddy's sister, Jackie, is still in a critical condition in Beaumont Hospital.
The accident occurred when the car in which the group was travelling collided with a silage trailer travelling in the same direction near Portlaoise.
The weekend funerals bore testimony to the deep sense of grief which has engulfed the small closely-knit communities of south Laois for the past week as young and old alike came together in sympathy and sadness.
The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr Laurence Ryan, attended both funeral services at the weekend and extended his sympathy to the families. "They will have to carry the terrible memories of their deaths, but in time the joyful memories will outweigh the sad ones", he said.
Both Ms Bowe and Ms Carroll were Leaving Certificate students at Heywood Community School, Ballinakill, Portlaoise, and St Aengus Vocational School, Mountrath, respectively.
The Department of Education assigned inspectors and psychologists to both schools to assist their fellow students, who are completing their examinations.