Local people gathered for a rally at Hartstown Community School this afternoon following the death of Toyosi Shittabey who was a third year student there. A candle-lit vigil is to be held this evening.
Pupils and friends of Toyosi, led by school principal John Bean, met today to honour the student after he was fatally stabbed.
Gardaí have appealed for calm in Tyrrelstown, west Dublin, following the killing on Friday night.
Angry friends of Toyosi Shittabey (15), originally from Nigeria, smashed the windows of a car yesterday afternoon on their way back from a rally held in the teenager’s memory.
Garda spokesman Supt John Gilligan urged people in the area, one of the most ethnically diverse in Ireland, to “take a deep breath, take a step back and let the gardaí do their job”. Supt Gilligan said there was not a history of racial tension in the area, and he described the stabbing incident as “truly exceptional”.
About 300 local people took part in a procession yesterday from Tyrellstown Plaza to Mount Eustace Crescent, where the stabbing occurred.
Tributes were paid to Toyosi and prayers were said at the scene during a rally at the spot where he was killed. The Nigerian ambassador, Dr Kemafo Nonyerem Chikwe, attended the rally. A message was read out from President Mary McAleese expressing her condolences over the attack.
Tributes were also paid to Toyosi from Shelbourne Football Club. The youngster was on their books and he also played for Insaka-Ireland Football, the football club for African children in Ireland.
Two men charged in connection with the death appeared at the Bridewell District Court yesterday and were remanded to Cloverhill Prison until 10.30am tomorrow.