President to host Mass for drowned boys

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese is to host a special Mass for the families of two young boys who drowned in a private swimming pool.

Mrs McAleese expressed profound shock and sadness to the parish priest who will carry out the joint funeral Mass for four-year-old Shea Laverty and two-year-old David Smith.

The boys drowned on Friday evening after crawling through a gap in the fence into the grounds of the large house close to their homes in Ardaveen Mews, Newry, Co Down.

Father Richard Naughton, who will conduct Requiem Mass at the Sacred Heart Chapel at Cloghoghue this morning, spoke to the president in Dublin yesterday.

“President McAleese said she felt intensely sad for the parents of those two little boys. She is having a Mass in Áras an Úachtaráin and they will be praying for the families,” he said.

The priest added: “The death of a child is the fear that every parent has. Everyone is aware it can happen and they can identify with these parents.”

David will be buried in the cemetery adjoining the chapel, while Shea will be buried in a family plot in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.

Family and friends have been providing support to the distraught parents of the boys who lived just three doors apart.

Fr Naughton said he hoped both families would be able to gain strength and support from each other.

“They have been joined together in grief by this shared tragedy. That sense of them suffering together will be symbolised tomorrow,” he added.

It emerged yesterday that David’s father Brian tried to resuscitate the youngsters with mouth-to-mouth after dragging them out of the pool. A paramedic gave him instructions over the phone on how to perform the procedure as an ambulance rushed to the scene.

Staff at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry worked for two hours to revive the two boys but were unable to save them.

Shea was due to celebrate his fifth birthday next week. His younger brother was with them at the time of the tragedy but escaped unhurt and is being comforted by family members.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of their deaths and liaison officers have been appointed to both families to help them deal with the tragedy.