A community was left “numb” after three sisters and a young boy were seriously injured in a horror crash in Ireland, a vigil of support for the family has heard.
Ella Hendricken and Niamh and Alma Kinsella were travelling with the child to the airport for a holiday when the car they were in was struck by another vehicle driving the wrong way down the M9 motorway in Kildare on Sunday morning.
They were all taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Five teenagers in the other vehicle all died in the crash which has renewed focus on enforcement of laws against dangerous driving, the regulation of social media content, and the provision of State care to children.
A prayer vigil in solidarity with the injured women and boy was held on Friday evening in Saint Clare’s Church in Graiguecullen, Carlow near the Laois border.
Hundreds of well-wishers gathered at the church for the vigil from 6.30pm – with many more watching the online livestream in the local parish centre.
A fundraiser for the affected family had received 680,000 euro (£580,000) in donations by the end of the gathering.
Father John Dunphy told the vigil: “We gather tonight, first of all, in prayer.
“And when a community comes together in prayer it gives great strength.”
Fr Dunphy said the hearts of the community had been “numb” since Sunday morning, but said “our hearts too went out to” the affected family.
“We prayed that they will recover. We knew it would be a long road back. Thankfully, they’re on that road and please God, they will make a full recovery.”
He later told the service that the family had been in contact and thanked everyone for their prayers and support, as well as the emergency services – adding that hospital staff were going “way beyond the call of duty”.
Fr Dunphy said: “They are absolutely overwhelmed by the support that they’ve been getting, and it gives them great strength and courage to keep fighting and keep going.”
At the same service, Bishop Denis Nulty said that the community felt “shock” as well as “maybe fear and grief” as it gathered in “solidarity” and support for the the family.
He said they deserved the prayers offered, “particularly at a time when words fail and indeed when we feel helpless regarding what to do or where to turn to”, adding: “It’s good to be together”.
Speaking to those gathered, he said: “The thing about it is that they could be any one of us on the road from Carlow to catch an early morning flight from Dublin Airport.”
He said it was “only right that we gather and know how much this gathering will mean” to the affected family.
Bishop Nulty also thanked emergency personnel who arrived at the scene and medical staff who have cared for the family in the following days.
He then turned his attention to those who died in the other crash, while urging the public to be “careful” in social media posts about the incident.
“We also remember the the five boys in the car – that’s the Christian thing to do.
“They too have heartbroken parents, family, and friends.
“We pray for them this evening.”
Bishop Nulty said Christians were called on to be “hands and feet of Christ” but were additionally asked “to be careful of our language”.
He added: “Words can hurt, but they also have the power to heal.
“To be careful of our social media posting, what is posted cannot be unposted, to be careful of our commentary.”
The service included a prayer for healing which involved sharing the flame from one source candle in the church among smaller candles held by those gathered.
Funerals for two of the teenagers in the other car were held in Carlow and Athy, Co Kildare earlier on Friday while it was reported that there was also a gathering for mourners for a third boy in Limerick.
