The dark country road leading to the Carrickmines halting site where 10 people were killed in a fire last weekend was illuminated by hundreds of candles as mourners turned out for a prayer service in their memory.
Emotional readings from members of the Travelling community, often unable to speak through tears, offered a form of comfort to loved ones and friends.
“Prayer is something the travelling community rely on to get them through hard times,” explained Geraldine Dunne of the Southside Traveller Action Group. “It brings a bit of a mark to the community. Hundreds turned out here tonight and it’s really important.”
The entrance to the halting site at Glenamuck Road in Carrickmines remained closed; it was surrounded by a wall of flowers and small teddy bears in memory of the five children who perished.
In the pitch black, lines of candles sparkled on the roadway where more than 200 adults and children, from both the travelling and settled communities, cried through the service and an emotional rendition of Amazing Grace.
Fr Derek Farrell, of the parish of the Travelling people in Dublin, reminded them how the country was coming together in a shared sense of disbelief. Services of varying kinds were also taking place in Galway, Waterford, Wicklow and Cavan.
“We keep in our prayers thoughts of the families,” he said. “We pray for them over these days that they will be supported with our prayers, with our generosity of spirit, with our outreach in whatever way is needed to help them through this darkness.”
The action group said the Garda was still unable to confirm when the identification of the deceased would be finalised. Arrangements for the funerals cannot be made until the identifications are concluded and the bodies released.
Counselling and psychology support services remain in place for the families who survived the fire.
Tom Connors, aged 4, remains in a serious but stable condition in Crumlin hospital.
