School says ‘Our focus is to help pupils with their loss’

School friends and teachers of Thomas and Paddy O’Driscoll at Banogue National School were trying to come to terms with news of the tragedy yesterday.

The twins had been pupils at the school for just over a year and had only recently started third class. Principal, Sheila Cagney said they were both loving, energetic and full of fun.

Supports were already being put in place as parents arrived with their children yesterday morning at the small Co Limerick school, around eight miles from Charleville, and three miles from Croom. It is a small school of around 50 pupils which had just three classes last year, one with only 15 pupils, and two special needs teachers.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said specially- trained counsellors were also working in the town to support families and children affected by the tragedy.

Ms Cagney said the entire school community was deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely deaths of the two young brothers.

“This is a terrible tragedy for the family, the school and the whole community. We are deeply saddened by this event,” she said in a statement issued by the school through the Department of Education.

“Our sympathy and thoughts are with the family and friends at this terrible time,” she said.

The principal said the staff’s focus was on the pupils in the schools who were trying to come to terms with the loss.

“We will help the children to the best of our ability. We are receiving support from the National Education Psychological Service who will be at the school today to support staff in dealing with the tragedy.” The school appealed for privacy to allow staff focus on the children and said it would be making no further comment.

The HSE is working with suicide charity, Console, education specialists and other agencies to provide support, assistance and counselling, the HSE said.

Community health workers with the Travellers of North Cork association were also in the town supporting members of the community, relatives and friends. Counselling and support services are being set up in the area by the group, alongside the HSE to help the immediate and extended family, and they are expected to remain in place for several days.

School help

The National Educational Psychological service (NEPS) has guidelines for all schools to help them deal with critical incidents involving members of the school community, which stress the importance of giving facts in a way that is appropriate to children’s ages.

“Accurate information does not require that graphic details are included. Such information may play on the fears of children and young people, and is not helpful,” schools are advised by NEPS, which is a Department of Education service.

The support material for school staff also deals with fears that children might have of something similar happening in their family, if there has been a death due to family violence.

“It is important to reassure them that these events do not happen often,” the guidelines state.