A priest has spoken of the traumatic scene after a car skidded off a road in Co Donegal and plunged into Lough Foyle, killing a father and two children.
John Mullan (49) and his son Tomás (14) and daughter Amelia (6) lost their lives in the tragedy on Thursday night.
His wife Geraldine (45) survived the accident when she managed to climb onto the roof of the upturned Mitsubishi.
The family had been returning to Moville in Inishowen from an evening out in Derry.
The tragedy happened at around 10.20pm at Three Trees between Muff and Quigley’s Point.
There were atrocious weather conditions at the time and a high tide.
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene and the front female passenger was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"The bodies of the two males and one female were subsequently taken from the water and removed to Letterkenny University Hospital mortuary.”
A member of a well-known family, Mr Mullan owned a garden centre in Moville.
His wife, who is originally from County Galway, is a senior nurse in the oncology ward at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Fire and rescue services attended the scene and a Coastguard helicopter was called into assist in the follow-up operation on Thursday night.
Muff parish priest Fr John Farren administered the Last Rites to the deceased.
He said he was greeted by shocking scenes when he arrived and Mrs Mullan was “hysterical from grief”.
“We said prayers and announced the family in her presence and then, before she got back in the ambulance, she thanked everybody who was there," he said.
"That was really unbelievable, that she had the presence of mind to do that. It was an awful scene."
Fr Farren said the family had not taken any holidays because of the Covid-19 pandemic but had been enjoying a night out at Brunswick Superbowl in Derry before the children returned to school.
Moville Labour councillor Martin Farren said everyone in the Inishowen town was in shock.
Mr Farren, who knew the family well, said the tragedy had devastated the entire community.
Sinn Féin TD Pádraig MacLochlainn said people would do all they could to support Mrs Mullan.
“The people of Inishowen and Donegal have suffered more than most from road tragedies over the years,” he added.
In a poignant message, Tomás’s school, Moville community college, paid tribute to the teenager as an extremely popular pupil who loved judo and music.
Principal Anthony Doogan said: “One of my abiding memories of Tomás will be of a young man walking to his music lessons with his accordion slung over his back. He will be deeply missed by his family and close friends.”.
The bodies of Mr Mullan and his children will return home to Moville today ahead of Requiem Mass at 11am on Monday at St Pius X Church.
It will be streamed on www.movilleparish.com for those unable to attend due to Covid restrictions.
