VIDEO: Flags fly at half mast in Berkeley as condolences paid
A book of condolence will be opened in the Mansion House in Dublin from 10am tomorrow and another book of condolence opened in St Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday afternoon.
Cork City Lord Mayor Chris O’Leary opened a book of condolence in the Atrium of City Hall and said he was due to visit the accident site in Berkeley in the coming days.
Another book of condolence was opened by the mayor of Galway, and another at the Honan Chapel in University College Cork. The American flag at the US Embassy in Dublin was flown at half mast.
An online book of condolence on the UCD website had attracted more than 6,000 comments by yesterday afternoon. Staff member Dr Richard McElligott wrote: “I taught Niccolai Schuster over the past two years in the School of History. A wonderful and polite young man, can’t believe such a young life can be taken by something like this.
“It’s very hard to even read or hear about it so tragic is it in terms of the loss of young lives going out full of hope and adventure.
“It is desperately tragic and the country feels it, such young lives lost in such tragic circumstances.
“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, a child going abroad and this type of tragic accident happens, so our thoughts are with the families and their friends and communities.”
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the deaths of students and the injuries sustained by others was “absolutely heartbreaking”.
“The Taoiseach spoke for everyone in the country when he expressed his sympathy, of every politician, of everyone in the Dáil, everyone in the country is affected by this,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“It’s in all our minds, obviously because of the desperately sad circumstances of loss of young life, as I say going out to have a good time to work, to get the benefits of being abroad and for families to be confronted with such absolute tragedy and loss of young life. As I say, it is everyone’s worst nightmare.”
In student and academic circles the grief was particularly prominent. Marcus O’Halloran, president of the students’ union in UCD, where some of those killed had been studying, said: “I can’t imagine the grief of the families and friends of those students involved, I can only extend my deepest sympathies and say that my heart goes out to them and all those affected by this catastrophe.”
Dr Jim Browne, president of National University of Ireland, Galway, said: “We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to hear of the Irish students lost in the devastating tragedy in Berkeley, California.
“This untimely loss of life has shocked the university communities across Ireland and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to all of their families, classmates and friends at this time. The university also wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to our colleagues at other institutions who are in mourning at this time.”
The Football Association of Ireland tweeted: “Terrible shock to hear of the 6 students who died in Berkeley, with today the 3rd anniversary of James Nolan’s death in Poland. May they RIP”.
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