‘It’s so sad, she was such a beautiful little girl’

Heartbroken girls at Scoil Mháithair Dé in Abbeyfeale cried as a special prayer ceremony took place yesterday.

As they prepared to say goodbye for the summer, they received the sad news that one classmate had died in a road accident in West Cork on Thursday.

Eight-year-old Abbeyfeale girl Zoe Scannell was killed and her mother Alisha was seriously injured in the two-car collision near Owenahincha, Rosscarbery.

Alisha remains in a critical but stable condition.

Zoe’s classmates drew pictures of her and wrote their own special messages to their friend.

Anthony Scannell, a brother of Alisha and uncle of Zoe, came to thank them for being such wonderful friends to Zoe.

The children gathered around and lit candles placed in the shape of a heart as parish priest Canon John O’Shea celebrated a children’s Eucharist.

School principal Marie Gleeson said: “She was such a talented little girl, a wonderful dancer and last Christmas she did the narration in the Nativity play. All the family were in the audience and you could see the pride in their faces. I was so proud of her myself.

“I had to think last night how we would get through today. They are so young. We had one of the teachers, Margaret O’Sullivan, who is trained in bereavement counselling, talk to them and the parents.

“There is now a lot of holiday time and we are hoping they will get through it. We have given the parents contact numbers for a professional counselling service in Limerick.”

Canon O’Shea said: “Zoe was among the First Communion class who led the Corpus Christi procession in their white dresses only last Saturday. Alisha was one of the co-ordinators of the First Holy Communion programme for the class.”

He said he prayed and talked with the children up to 11am and shortly afterwards the school broke up for the summer.

“It’s so sad. She was such a beautiful little girl,” said Canon O’Shea. It’s a sad day for us all.”

Councillor Liam Galvin, a close family friend, said: “It’s hard to find words to express the grief here in Abbeyfeale. Alisha was crazy about her little girl and her grandmother, Alice, adored her little granddaughter. Alisha and Zoe were so close and it’s hard to believe that Zoe is gone.

“She got her First Holy Communion this year and she only wore her First Holy Communion dress at Corpus Christi for the last time. Alisha works in a local hairdressers. I was with Alice this morning. Her husband Luke died years ago and she idolised Alisha and Zoe.”

Geraldine O’Brien, who runs Little Rascals children’s wear shop in Abbeyfeale, sold the family Zoe’s communion dress.

Ms O’Brien said: “I would have got her all her school uniforms.

“She was in recently with her mother to collect her First Holy Communion dress. She was such a lovely little girl, a gorgeous child. The whole family doted on her.

“They are such lovely people and I can’t imagine how they are suffering.”