‘SLEEPING BEAUTY, RIP’

IT was the simple, heartfelt tributes written on Áine Riordan’s white coffin that summed up the deep sense of shock and sorrow felt by young people in the wake of the Co Kerry road crash.

For a day and two nights, teenagers had been calling in their hundreds to the 16-year-old’s home in St John’s Park, Castleisland, where she reposed.

And, while they wept, embraced and comforted each other, they also brought consolation to Áine’s distraught family gathered around her.

In black ink, they penned tributes all over the coffin.

“My beautiful little princess”, “Love you so much”, “Sleeping beauty, rest in peace” and “Áine loves David. Mini Box Sisterz” – a reference to her boyfriend, David Breen, who also died in Wednesday’s crash.

A message attached to one of the wreaths said: “We are glad your with the love of your life for eternity.”

Áine was buried in Clogher cemetery, the first of the four crash victims to be laid to rest. The funerals of the other three will take place in Killarney today.

Sympathisers queued for several hours last evening before the remains of brothers David, 17, and Kevin Breen, 15, of Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, were removed to St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney.

They and Brian Coffey, 19, of Crohane, Killarney, will be buried today.

Meanwhile, gardaí are still trying to piece together all the movements of the silver Hyundai Accent involved in the single vehicle accident on the night before the crash.

They believe it may have been driven around the general Killarney area for some time prior to the crash.

Gardaí have renewed an appeal to anyone who saw the car, especially between Killarney town and Barraduff village, between midnight on Tuesday and the time of the accident at 7.10am on Wednesday to contact them.

The sole survivor of the crash, Darragh Jones, 16, of Killeagh, Farranfore, Co Kerry, is in a stable condition in Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, and will be interviewed by gardaí when his condition improves.