Berkeley tragedy: Joint funeral starts process of bringing bodies home

The funerals of two of the six victims of Tuesday’s accident in Berkeley are to be held in California today.

Sat, 20 Jun, 2015 - 01:00

Juno McEnroe, Fiachra O’Cionnaith, and Joe Leogue

The joint ceremony for cousins Ashley Donohue and Olivia Burke will be held in St Joseph’s Church in Rohnert Park, about 80km north of Berkeley.

Ms Burke’s remains will be later repatriated for burial in Dublin.

Meanwhile, as preparations are underway to bring the victims’ bodies home for burial, plans are being made for a ceremony in Dublin next week.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he hopes to meet the families of the victims who died in Berkley and that members of the Government would also attend a special ceremony near the Dáil next week.

He said leaders at yesterday’s British-Irish Council summit in Dublin had expressed their condolences over the deaths.

“It’s so moving for everybody to have lost so many young people in an environment where they had travelled to avail of the facilities in the United States to enjoy themselves and have a new experience in California,” said Mr Kenny.

“I have thanked all the representatives for their expressions of sympathy and condolences in respect to the loss of those people and to the parents and people of our country.”

Mr Kenny said an ecumenical service next week would be attended by the Government and Oireachtas members. It follows a suggestion from the ceann comhairle that the Dáil be used for a service.

However, the Government has agreed to hold the service outside Leinster House, to allow staff to attend. The details will be confirmed on Monday. Mr Kenny added: “It will be my hope to meet with the families whenever that would be appropriate. I have to make arrangements as to the sequence of things. But it’s such a sad time, I feel it all over the country for young people.”

Speaking at a conference in Croke Park yesterday, Tánaiste Joan Burton said there was a need for the country to offer support to the young victims and their families.

“Hopefully the parents will be able to see their children as soon as possible, I understand that may happen tomorrow,” she said.

“I also understand some of their friends may be able to see them as well before they actually fly home for the burials. I think many of the parents are very anxious that they would bring their children back home to Ireland and that they would then be able to bury them with their wider family and friends.”

Meanwhile, the victims of the disaster were remembered as warm, vibrant, hard workers by a manager who had hired them to work in a San Francisco restaurant popular with tourists.

Angie Louis said that Ms Burke and Ms Walsh, who both died when they fell from the Berkeley balcony, worked in the Hana Zen sushi bar along with Niall Murray, who was injured in the accident.

“It’s just a tragedy. It’s so sad. They were so lovely. They were hard working,” Ms Louis told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“They were so warm, so vibrant and just so smart. Beautiful ladies, lovely and very wonderful to be working with. All of our staff here and the people around in Hannah’s End are so fortunate to have met them and to know them.”

Ms Louis said that she has spoken with the family of Ms Walsh since the accident.