Funeral details announced for Clonmel crash victims

By David Young, Grainne Ni Aodha and Cillian Sherlock, PA

Books of condolences have opened in Clonmel for the four victims of a road crash in the Co Tipperary town.

Twenty-four-year-old Luke McSweeney, his 18-year-old sister Grace McSweeney and Zoey Coffey and Nicole Murphy, both also aged 18, were killed in the collision on Friday evening.

Books of condolence for each victim were opened at the local council offices at County Hall in Clonmel on Monday morning.

Several people lined up waiting to sign the books ahead of them opening.

Around 2,000 people gathered in Clonmel on Sunday evening for a vigil for those who died.

Grieving family members and classmates of the victims were among those who attended the emotional event at Kickham Plaza.

People continued to arrive at a memorial display in the town square on Monday, standing in silence and leaving candles and other tributes.

Opening the books of condolences, Mayor of Clonmel, Richie Molloy, said: “This morning I suppose was another part of the community coming together, we as a council decided to open four books of condolences for the four victims of the terrible tragedy that has occurred over the weekend.

“Last night’s vigil really showed the community coming out I suppose to give some solace to the families, and we just can only barely imagine the trauma that they’re going through, and I think the books are another way for the people of the town to come out and to show their sympathy by signing the book.”

The funeral for Mr and Ms McSweeney will be held at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Clonmel at 11.30am on Friday.

Ms Murphy from Toor, Ballypatrick, Clonmel, Co Tipperary will be laid to rest on Thursday. Ms Coffey’s funeral will be held on Saturday with further arrangements due to be announced shortly.

Parish priest Fr John Treacy said “very difficult” days lay ahead for the families.

“The love of a parent for their child, it’s an unspeakable and inseparable bond of love and fidelity, and tenderness and compassion, and to lose that is just something that words cannot adequately describe,” he told RTE Radio One.

Mr McSweeney was driving the teenagers to a bus on Friday when the car overturned and crashed into a wall in Clonmel.

The youngsters were on their way to celebrate their Leaving Cert exam results, which they had received earlier on Friday.

Bouquets of flowers, notes and candles have continued to be left at the wall of Loreto Secondary School, where Ms Murphy went to school and which is around the corner from the scene of the crash on Mountain Road.

At Sunday’s vigil, classmates of Ms McSweeney and Ms Coffey from Presentation Secondary School wore lilac jumpers that commemorate their graduate class of 2023.

Young men and women embraced one another and cried as the vigil came to a close with the song Rise Up by Andra Day.

Earlier on Sunday, students attended Loreto Secondary School and Presentation Secondary School to mourn together.

Speaking after Sunday’s vigil, Bishop of Waterford Alphonsus Cullinan said there was a “strength” in the community coming together in grief.

“Because there’s so many people here, it just shows the strength of community that’s here, the bond that’s here,” he said.

“Everyone here has a connection with those three families and those four youngsters, God love them all.

“So, there’s a real strength in that consoling one another, helping one another, to go through the grief, praying together, as well as singing together, crying together.

“It’s heartbreaking and there’s no easy solution. There’s no easy words. We just have to find the strength to struggle on.”