OISIN Clerkin, Kiea McCann's date for the debs ball, has shared one of the last photos the pair took before the crash that killed her and injured him.
Two nights ago, the car in which they were travelling left the road and hit a tree, near Clones, Co Monaghan. Kiea (17) and her best friend Dlava Mohamed (16) were killed, while Dlava’s sister Auin (18) was seriously injured and remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Oisin (18) was also injured while 60-year-old Anthony McGinn, who was the driver, remains in a critical condition.
Read more: Road deaths rise on both sides of the Irish border in 2023
The funeral of Kiea McCann is to take place in Clones tomorrow at Sacred Heart Chapel at 2pm, while Dlava Mohamed's funeral will also be tomorrow in the Clonskeagh Mosque and Cultural Centre, in Dublin, at 10am.
Read more:
- Principal pays tribute to ‘beautiful best friends' killed in Clones crash
- Funerals for school friends killed on way to ball will take place on Thursday
- Co Monaghan crash victim's father reveals he 'tried to revive' daughter and friend
Writing on social media, Kiea’s older sister, Shaunice, wrote: “I really don’t know what to say, I’m just so heartbroken over you, my little baby sister. I have no words to describe the emotions going through me right now.
“I really don’t know what to do without you, I am just so lost and don’t understand how something like this could just happen to you and I just hope you know that we all love you so much. And I would do anything just to have you here with me one last time just to tell you that I love you and need you.
“You were taken from us too soon. Your life was just starting to begin and you can no longer enjoy it. You were such a strong, beautiful, loving, caring girl and very thick-headed, but I would never change anything about you.
"Rest easy princess, and look over us, I will never forget you or the great times we had. You hold a big special part in my life and that will never change.
"I will never understand why life is so cruel to take such a special person like you out of it, I love you forever baby.”
Family and friends gathered in Clones to form a guard of honor for the two students' final journey home last night.
Sharon Magennis, Principal of Largy College in Clones, Co Monaghan, said that breaking the news of the deaths of best friends, Kiea and Dlava, to fellow pupils on Monday evening, was the “hardest five minutes” of her career.
As news of the tragedy filtered through, devastated students were bussed from the cancelled debs celebration back to the school which opened to receive and comfort them.
“We took the students into the school,” she told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland.
“I, myself, went out onto the bus and took the students off the buses that arrived at 10:30pm,” she said.
“To have to say that, to speak to students, parents that were there at that time. That was indeed the hardest five minutes of my career.
“It was just a scene of utter heartbreak and devastation. And those friends, they will need to be together for the next number of days, weeks and months and we need so much support in the time ahead.”
She continued: “Words can't describe how our school, our community of Clones is feeling just at this time.”
“The past 36 hours have definitely taken a toll on all of us and everyone in our community and we can't find the words,” she added.
“The students can't find the words to express the emotions of anger and hurt that they feel.
“Over the next while we'll continue to work together to support each other.”
The principal said she wanted to “extend our deepest sympathies to the families.” She added: “These two families have lost sisters and daughters.”
The principal said she’d spent yesterday visiting both of the deceased girls’ families.
“Dlava was always smiling,” the principal said. “She was gorgeous, so loyal and bubbly. She was always very happy around school. She really had a goodness. She was just full of energy.”
“Kiea was pleasant and courteous. She had a great love of children and she had hoped to go on to study childcare at third level. And now that is a dream that will just not be realised.”
Dlava had just completed her Junior Cert and was due to go into Transition Year, but again, her promise would not be fulfilled.
“Dlava will be a massive loss to our school community,” Ms Magennis said.
Kiea had completed her school and had finished her Leaving Cert Applied.
“Both girls were absolutely integral to our community and we are just heartbroken at this time,” she added.
The school had been opened yesterday morning, the principal explained, and a critical incident team meeting had taken place, to deal with the tragedy.
