Tributes to pupil killed in Poland

A teenager who was due to collect his Leaving Cert results in two weeks has been killed in a motorbike accident in his native Poland.

Tributes poured in yesterday for Cork student Maciek Mordal, 18, who was killed when the motorbike on which he was a passenger crashed in Lubin, near Wroclaw, on Saturday. He had been visiting extended family in Poland at the time.

His parents, Rafal and Wioletta, and his young brother, who live in Cork City, were being comforted by close friends last night.

The family, who have been living in Cork for over a decade, are now making arrangements to travel to Poland where a funeral service is expected to take place on Thursday.

Maciek, who sat his Leaving Cert in Deerpark CBS in June, was described last night as a very popular and outgoing student.

City councillor Mick Finn, a project worker on Deerpark’s school completion programme, said the tragedy has rocked the entire school community, but especially Maciek’s friends and former classmates.

“He was a very popular lad, a very quiet but outgoing young man, very mannerly, and good-humoured,” said Mr Finn.

“He was very involved in drama and participated in the Youth Dramafest. He was also into sport, soccer especially, and had talked about joining the army after his Leaving Cert.

“He was very popular among his friends and they are just devastated by this.”

The school authorities texted parents about the tragedy yesterday and are liaising with Maciek’s family.

Deerpark deputy principal Peter Hyde said Maciek was a very popular student. “He was a very bright lad and very hardworking,” he said. “We were all very fond of him. It’s such a tragedy, especially at the end of his school career and as he was going out into the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

The school is expected to invite Maciek’s family, his former classmates, and other senior students to attend a special prayer service for Maciek in early September.