‘You don’t expect a child of that age to die like this’
The tragedy which enveloped the tiny Mullinahone community in Co Tipperary was palpable.
They stood in stunned silence outside the parish church, staring up at the cross on its grey facade, searching for answers.
The attendant in the shop just up the street fought back tears as she struggled to keep it together.
“It’s difficult to stand here today,” she mumbled.
Parish priest Fr John McGrath attended the accident scene and accompanied the remains of 13-year-olds Natalie Horan-Quinn and Michael Brennan to the morgue in Clonmel, where a post mortem took place.
He was stunned by it all. He celebrated Mass before a large congregation yesterday morning. President Mary McAleese was among those to phone, passing on her condolences.
Fr McGrath said: “A child of that age, if you expect them to die, you expect them to pass away peacefully in a hospital bed or in the arms of their parents, but not like this.
“We had terrible sadness and unexpected deaths in the parish but this was particularly tragic.
“Words mean nothing at this time. All we can do is be there for the families and comfort them whatever way we can,” he said, as he prepared for the funerals of Natalie tomorrow and Michael, probably on Friday.
Candles flickered in front of a picture of the pals at their former primary school, Kilvemnon National School.
A book of condolence was opened for those wishing to pass on messages to the bereaved families.
The inseparable friends, who will be laid to rest in adjoining plots before the weekend, were in a class of just five. Natalie was the only girl.
The two were side by side in the school photo, as they had been since Natalie and her family moved to the area. A few months separated them in age. And when they went on to the local secondary school, their friendship grew.
Few could believe they would die together in such a freak accident.
Primary school principal Techki Brett described Natalie as the “mother hen” of the class which left last June. She was always watching out for her fellow pupils in the two-teacher school.
She described Michael as “a very special child”, who got on great with everyone. He loved to have fun and was a real character, she added.
School pals at both Kilvemnon and Scoil Ruane secondary school were said to be in deep shock.
The 13-year-olds lived within a half-mile of each other, about three miles outside of the village.
But they were known to everyone.
One woman cleaned the windows on the front of her terraced home. But she and others were more going through the motions, trying to keep busy, rather than contemplate the horror which had come to their community yet again.
And on the street, there was deep sympathy for the Horan-Quinn and Brennan families and unstinting support for the driver, ex-army man Kevin Keating, who was bringing his foster daughter and neighbours’ children home after study time at their school.
One woman said: “He’s a lovely man. He was only doing a favour for those families, driving their children home.
“He’s the most careful driver ever. He never speeds. His own children are grown up and there’s no way he would speed with four children in the car.”
Another woman said she had fond memories of Michael as a child.
“He was a lovely child. I can’t even begin to imagine what they are going through.
“You see these type of things on the television. But you never think you will know the people involved. Everyone around here would know both families, particularly the Brennans, as well as the driver.
“It’s going to be a rough few days for everyone and I don’t know how we will ever get over it. We were all up there this morning at Mass, looking for answers.
“But there really aren’t any. How can you even begin to understand a tragedy like this.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
