Bishop praises local ‘community spirit’ as crash victim laid to rest
The Bishop of Meath, Michael Smith, said the dignity and courage expressed during the last few difficult days can only strengthen the deep bonds of faith, hope and love between the townlands and villages of Beauparc, Yellow Furze and Rosnaree.
Bishop Smith was speaking after the funeral Mass and burial of Aimee McCabe, the last of the five victims of Monday’s bus tragedy to be laid to rest.
He added: “I hope that all who have been working so hard at parish and community level will find some quiet space and time in the coming days to reflect quietly on the events of the past five days.”
Bishop Smith said the month of May is charged with the excitement of First Communions, Confirmations and the coming summer holidays, while tinged with worries over examinations or changing schools.
“The past week has brought all these happy and anxious moments together in one single tragic event,” he said.
The bishop also expressed the wish that all the local communities would continue to “provide signs of faith, hope and love to young and old who have been touched by the deaths of the five young girls”.
The emergency services who attended the bus crash were singled out for praise, as well as the nursing staff and priests who were with the injured in Drogheda and Navan.
Meanwhile, the Government has postponed plans to launch a multi-billion transport strategy because of the Co Meath tragedy.
A Government source said it would be inappropriate to launch the strategy with all the “bells and whistles” given the events of the last week.
The strategy, meant as a blueprint for transport in the near future, is completed and was due to be brought to Cabinet next Tuesday.
