Tears and prayers at scene of carnage

IN the gentle autumn sunlight, yesterday, relatives and friends came with flowers; some wiped tears away and crossed themselves as their lips moved in prayer.

One man who didn’t know any of the four teenage victims of Wednesday morning’s devastating car crash in Co Kerry stopped his car, walked to the scene, stood silently and prayed for a few minutes.

Birds sang on the tree branches over the spot where the young lives ended so horribly and abruptly. Their song was like a requiem and everything was peaceful.

But skid marks were clearly visible on the road as were signs of the impact the car made on the tree where it came to rest after a frightening bang that woke people in this rural area.

All of which made for a totally changed scene from that witnessed 24 hours previously when five ambulances, two fire tenders, several gardaí, two doctors and a priest attended the carnage at Carrigeen, on the Killarney to Mallow road.

As people visited the location of carnage, much of the passing traffic on the busy road didn’t seem to notice the flowers or the breach on the embankment opposite a well-known landmark, O’Sullivan’s Mazda car salesrooms.

Gardaí are continuing a full-scale investigation into the crash and trying to piece together all the youths’ movements and those of the silver 00-registered Hyundai Accent on the night preceding the 7.10am crash.

The youths are understood to have been returning to Killarney after attending a house party in the Kilcummin area when the car went out of control and left the road while taking a sweeping bend.

Superintendent Michael Maher, Killarney, yesterday appealed to witnesses to come forward so that gardaí can put a full picture of the movements together.

“We’re following a number of definite leads and the public have been very helpful up to now,” he said, while offering his sympathies to the bereaved families.

The car, which was not owned by any of the five young people, may have been driven around the area for some time prior to the crash.

Meanwhile, Michael McAuliffe, principal of Lissivigeen National School, Killarney, paid tribute to brothers David and Kevin Breen, ex-pupils who died in the crash. They were lovely lads and great pupils who took part in football, soccer, swimming and all school activities, he said.

Their 11-year-old sister, Mary, is a pupil in the school.

He said pupils and teachers were very upset and a psychologist was helping to put a support system in place to help pupils shocked by the boys’ deaths.

“It’s a strange feeling to be looking at photographs and to think they’re not there any more,” Mr McAuliffe said.