Neighbours pay respects to grieving families

Neighbours were today paying their respects at the family homes of the five young girls killed in the worst school vehicle crash in Irish history.

The coach overturned in Kentstown as it was taking 51 children home from school in Navan, Co Meath on Monday.

The bodies of the five girls – Aimee (correct version) McCabe, 15, Deirdre Scanlon, 17, Claire McCluskey, 18, Lisa Callan, 15, and Sinead Ledwidge, 15 - were returned to their grieving families last night after post-mortems were carried out at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.

The families were supported by friends, relatives and neighbours from the close knit communities in Navan, Beauparc and Senchalstown.

The funerals for all five girls expected to be held over the next two days.

A local priest, Fr Brogan, presided at a memorial mass at the Ros na Ri church last night. He said the community had been shattered by what had happened.

“We’re all in bits. Five young people killed, all in a rural community. I hope I never have to see something like this again,” he said.

Most of the 46 casualties have been released from hospital but two people were kept for observation overnight in Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan and six were being treated at Our Lady’s Hospital of Lourdes in Drogheda.

Gardaí were preparing to interview the bus driver, the drivers of the two cars involved in the collision and the 46 survivors over the next 24 hours.

Superintendent Gerry Smith of Navan Garda Station said officers had already spoken to the bus driver for a short time.

“He was being treated so it was very brief. We will be holding a full interview at the earliest opportunity,” he said.

Technical experts took away a section of the road at the accident site yesterday for forensic analysis.

Test runs were carried out on the road using a similar sized bus on to the coach in the accident.

There were skid tests involving a bus being driven at different speeds and braking at the approximate point where the driver of the other bus braked.

Superintendent Smith said they still did not know how the accident had occurred. He added that Gardaí would be establishing the events from eyewitness reports and technical and forensic evidence.

The Navan to Kentstown road, which was being re-surfaced at the time of the accident, will remain closed today.

“The road has to be cleaned and debris taken away. We have done all our tests and trial holes have to be re-filled,” said Meath County Council area manager Jackie Maguire.

The funerals of Lisa Callan will take place at 2pm on Thursday in Ros na Ri Church in Meath followed by the funeral of Claire McCluskey at 7pm.

The funeral of Deirdre Scanlon will take place at Beauparc Church at 11am, also on Thursday.