Mourners attending the funeral in Bunclody, Co Wexford, of one of the five young men drowned in the River Slaney in recent days, were urged by their parish priest not to bottle feelings up but to share them with someone.
The plea was made by Father A.G. Jones, who told the family and friends of the 21-year-old man who fell into the river at Bunclody on Sunday night, that the victim did not realise the pain and suffering his death would cause or the questions it would pose.
"So don't distress yourselves by continually asking why. There is no why or if or but. There is nothing you could have done differently. There is no blame. It's nobody's fault," he said.
The funeral was taking place one month after the man's best friend took his own life and while searches were continuing on the Slaney for three men, aged 23 to 39, who are still missing.
Since Monday of last week, six people have entered the waters of the Slaney, four in Enniscorthy, and one each in Bunclody and Wexford. One man was rescued and is recovering in hospital, two bodies have been recovered and the others are still missing. Gardaí say all incidents are unconnected.
Against this background, Father Jones said: "We come to name what has happened in our community, not once, not twice but a number of times in the past few years. We cannot conceal it in denial.
"Every unexpected tragic and traumatic death such as this creates deep wounds, but familiarity with recurring tragedy runs the risk of dulling the collective anguish.
"The danger is that the community will grow less sensitive to personal despair and come to regard this way as a normal or relatively acceptable method of solving personal crises. It is not. It is a non-runner - full stop."
It was a time of unspeakable sadness for the whole community who had "to cope in fear and confusion with another tragic death" of a young person.
Father Jones said there were no definite answers but incidents like this could "best be explained by an interaction of three factors - depression, but such that we are unaware of it; loss of a life, such as the death of a friend or the collapse of a relationship; and a drink or two at the wrong time".
These were good times, he said, but they were also hard times. However, there was no difficulty that couldn't be resolved and no problem that couldn't be solved. "Avail of the counselling and for God's sake talk," he said.
He urged young people present to create a positive culture, "not one dependent on drugs or drink or on the macabre blackness of some of today's fashions".
He also called on parents and teachers to be aware of changes in the mood and behaviour of young people and to be available to talk or listen. This might not always be enough, but all they could do was their best, he said.
A helpline has been set up by the South Eastern Health Board which can be contacted at 1800 455 120 and is open daily, including weekends, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A drop-in counselling service is also open daily, including Saturdays and Sundays, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Enniscorthy health centre.