Shock at former West Cork school of Waterford fire victim

Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty was plunged into a state of shock this week after news emerged that one of its former students had passed away in the arson attack on a home in Waterford.

Kim English sat her Leaving Certificate in the West Cork school in 2007.

Kim and Philip English, along with two of their children, Callum, aged 12, and Jayden, aged nine, all died following the fire at their home at the Birchwood Estate in Waterford during the early hours of last Tuesday morning.

The current Sacred Heart principal Ann Marie Brosnan was a staff member when Kim attended the Clonakilty school.

Shocked and saddened

Ms Brosnan told The Echo that all at the school are shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic events and the passing of their former pupil.

“It was only Wednesday that I found out,” said Ms Brosnan.

“Obviously, I had heard of the tragedy. But then I could not believe when I saw her photograph, and I said: ‘That is very familiar’.

“Then I looked and I realised it was actually Kim. I suppose in Waterford, you don’t think it’s going to have a knock-on effect in West Cork. It just shows Ireland is such a small place.

“The staff who were here at the time and everybody is just shocked and saddened to hear of the tragedy.

“We are just shocked. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with her family. It is shocking.”

On her memories of Kim and encounters with her as a student in the school, Ms Brosnan added: “I remember her well as a student.

“I became deputy principal in 2007 just as Kim left. But I would have taught her myself, and I remember her fondly"

A lovely person

“She was very much an individual, but she did very well with us. She was just a lovely person, and she worked well with us.

“We’re just processing it here ourselves and obviously a lot of the staff who would have been here at that stage have moved on.”

A GoFundMe fundraising page has been set up to support the family, to help cover the funeral costs and to help support the family through the days and weeks ahead.