Community devastated by teen crash deaths

The deaths of two 13-year-old teenagers in a road crash in Tipperary has devastated their small rural community, a parish priest said today.

Natalie Horan and Michael Brennan were passengers in a car that crashed off the road and into a six-foot ditch at Ballingarry Road in Mullinahone at 6.15pm.

The two first-year students were killed, two other teenage passengers were injured and the male driver was not hurt.

The local parish priest, Fr John McGrath, said the deaths were devastating for the small rural area.

“We buried a 92-year-old yesterday who lived a full life, a neighbour of those two children, and by evening, two 13-year olds were dead, which is mind-boggling,” he said.

“I knew Michael since he was a tiny baby and Natalie came to live here about six years ago. They were confirmed last spring by Archbishop Dermot Clifford.”

The teenagers were part of a group that was being driven home from after-hours study in Scoil Ruain vocational school in Killenaule in what is understood to be a car-pooling arrangement.

The two other teenagers in the car, a boy and a girl, were taken to Cashel Hospital. Their injuries were not described as life-threatening.

Fr McGrath was called to the horrific scene last night, where he met the shocked families of the dead teenagers.

“They were all at the scene. It was harrowing for them. An accident scene is gruesome. I call it a violence. The human body isn’t built for that.”

But Fr McGrath praised the local doctor John Gilman, the gardaí and the emergency services for the way they dealt with the tragedy.

“It wasn’t a job. They were heartfelt. There was such love and sympathy and caring and they deserve great praise.”

Fr McGrath said the driver of the car was an ex-army man who was extremely careful.

“The sad publicity at the moment is that every accident is loony driving. It wouldn’t be the case in this situation, I can tell you.”

Natalie Horan, 13, from Ballylanigan and Michael Brennan, 13, from Ballyduggan first attended classes together in a small primary school in Kilvemnom, which has two teachers and 37 pupils.

The entire school is going to Mass this morning to remember the two teenagers.

Local Mullinahone councillor Eddie O’Meara, who himself lost a 23-year-old son in a drowning accident in Cyprus three years ago, said he wanted to extend his sympathy to the families of those involved.

“It’s very, very hard on everybody. There’s a number of families affected. The driver’s family, your heart would go out to them. There are the two families of the bereaved and there’s another two families involved as well,” he told RTÉ radio.