LIFELONG friends with great futures ahead of them was how two teenage friends killed in a road crash in Co Armagh were remembered on Friday.
Tributes continued to pour in for Andrew Gass from Tullyallen near Markethill and Mark Hutcheson from Markethill, both aged just 17.
The two friends had grown up together and attended Markethill High School before they both joined the Southern Regional College in Armagh.
The teenagers were killed in a horror smash when their car left the Cladymilltown Road between Markethill and Newtownhamilton and hit a tree on Thursday.
The 17-year-olds were the driver and front seat passengers in a Vauxhall Astra, with a third person surviving the collision with non-life threatening injuries.
He was discharged from Craigavon Area Hospital on Thursday night.
The two crash victims were studying fabrication and welding at the Hamiltonsbawn Road Centre campus of the Southern Regional College.
They were on their way to a skills competition in Portadown when the tragedy happened.
Just last June they had left Markethill High School to continue their education.
The school's head teacher James Maxwell said on Friday that the two students "had great futures ahead of them".
"Both boys were popular, well-mannered and respected members of the school community who demonstrated passion and commitment towards all aspects of school life," he said.
"They left in June 2015 looking forward to the next step on their educational pathway.
"Andrew loved agriculture, vocational courses and he was heavily involved in school sports' teams, including rugby and hockey.
"Similarly, Mark excelled in science, agriculture and applied subjects such as carpentry and joinery.
"I have no doubt in my mind that both boys had great futures ahead of them and they will be remembered with fondness for their great generosity of spirit."
He said the school had put in place counselling for those students who knew the two teenagers and that a "special assembly to remember Andrew and Mark will take place in the near future".
Many tributes have also been left on social media, with friends describing their shock at the teenagers deaths.
Andrew Wilson said it was a "big shock to hear the news" of the deaths of his friends.
He added that they were "two great lads taken from us... far too young".
Another pal said: "R.I.P lads, forever in our hearts".
Both had been members of Mountnorris Young Farmers Club, which described the teenagers as a "super inspiration" who "definitely will be missed by all".
It is the second tragedy to hit the Southern Regional College within the past few months after friends Eoin Farrell and James Miskelly, also both 17, lost their lives last September in a single-car collision in Rostrevor.
