‘Our school has lost two very beautiful students’

THIS morning Dermot Flood will not make his usual school run to nearby St Aidan’s where he was a pupil himself three decades ago.

Nor will his wife Lorraine arrive after 2pm to fulfil her routine of collecting the couple’s two “beautiful and bubbly” children.

Instead psychologists and counsellors have been organised to help the classmates of Mark Flood, 6, and Julie Flood, 5, cope with the death of their school friends.

The siblings, along with their parents, were found dead in the fire that gutted the family home on Saturday morning after a suspected murder-suicide.

Yesterday, St Aidan’s principal Norma Doyle said: “On behalf of the staff and the board of management I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the Flood and the Kehoe families at this most difficult time.

“We are all devastated and deeply saddened by the events.

“Our school has lost two very beautiful students. They were happy children and we will miss them deeply.”

She said the school’s priority was now to look after its pupils. A critical incident plan was enacted, she said, and would be ready for their arrival this morning.

Mark, a GAA fan, was in senior infants with eight other pupils.

Julie, who practised dancing, was in junior infants with nine other pupils. Their mother Lorraine was publicist for the school’s parents’ association.

Mark and Julie’s classes were held in the same building Dermot and his siblings attended. In the school Mark and Julie had cousins from both sides of their family.

Curate Fr Richard Redmond said the tightly woven family and community network in Clonroche and Cloughbawn meant the death of the Flood family had left everybody numb.

Yesterday he told worshippers at the Church of St Clement they left with heavy hearts and a deep sense of sadness and loss, and people felt lost at this time.