The principal of a Co Monaghan secondary school has paid tribute to the two “beautiful girls” and “best friends” who were killed in a car crash while travelling to a Debs ball.
Seventeen-year-old Kiea McCann and Dalava Mohammed, 16, died when the car they were travelling in left the N54 and crashed into a tree at the side of the road, just outside Clones.
Largy College principal Sharon Magennis said Dalava had just completed her Junior Certificate and was due to go into transition year.
Speaking to RTE’s Morning Ireland, she said: “Dalava will be a massive loss to our school community.
“Dalava was always smiling, she was gorgeous, so loyal and bubbly, and she was always very happy.
“She really had a goodness and she was just full of energy.”
Ms Magennis said Kiea had completed the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.
“Kiea was pleasant and courteous,” she said.
“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.”
She said both girls were “absolutely integral” to the school community.
“We’re just heartbroken at this time.”
Ms Magennis said the two girls had been “best friends” since Dalava arrived in Clones as part of a resettlement programme for Syrians.
“Words can’t describe how our school, our community of Clones is feeling at this time.”
The principal said taking students back from the Debs event into the school after the crash were the hardest minutes of her career.
“It was just a scene of utter heartbreak and devastation,” she said.
The victims’ families are said to be “hugely devastated” and suffering from shock in the aftermath of the crash, in which the three other occupants of the car were injured.
An 18-year-old woman is in a critical but stable condition at Cavan General Hospital, while a 60-year-old man remains in a critical condition at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
An 18-year-old man suffered non life-threatening injuries.
The scene on the N54 Clones to Smithborough road at Legnakelly was closed in the 24 hours after the crash for forensic examination, but reopened on Tuesday evening.
On Tuesday night, a guard of honour was held in Clones for Kiea.
As her body was taken from a funeral home in Monaghan town to Clones, hundreds of people from the local community stood in Monaghan Street and in the town square, The Diamond, as a mark of support for the family.
A cortege of motorcycles and cars followed the hearse carrying the white coffin as it moved slowly through the town, stopping briefly outside a home where it is understood relatives of Dalava live.
Some of those in the crowd wept and consoled each other as the hearse passed by.
Speaking at Clones Garda Station on Tuesday, Superintendent Patrick O’Connell said members of the victims’ families visited the scene on Monday night.
“(They are) suffering from shock and trauma. They were at the scene last night, so they’re trying to deal with the whole aftermath of that, and we’re there to try and support them.
“We have family liaison officers appointed and we will continue over the days and weeks coming to do that,” he said, asking that the families’ privacy be respected.
Mr O’Connell added that gardai and the victims’ relatives are “eternally grateful” to members of the public who stopped to offer their help at the scene of the crash.
He also thanked the “brilliant” emergency services who attended the “harrowing scene” on Monday night.
“This was a particularly traumatic incident for everyone involved and I wish to acknowledge and thank all of the first responders who worked closely together – particularly members of An Garda Siochana, members of the ambulance and fire service, the hospital staff, and indeed members of the public who stopped to render assistance,” he said.
Mr O’Connell said a senior investigating officer has been appointed and a case conference has been held at Monaghan Garda Station, but he could not give details of the focus of their inquiries.
“We are appealing for information and our primary concern at the moment is to support the families of those affected. But our investigation will progress at pace,” he said.
Gardai are appealing to people who witnessed or have footage of the incident, which took place on a stretch of the N54 between Clones and Smithborough on Monday between 6.15pm and 7pm, to get in touch with Gardai.
