A school principle has paid tribute to a 'quiet, beautiful girl' killed alongside her two siblings during a violent incident in Dublin at the weekend. Lisa Cash, 18, tragically died alongside her eight-year-old twin siblings Christy and Chelsea Cawley. police were called to a home in the Rossfield estate in Tallaght at roughly 12.30am on Sunday.
Their 14-year-old brother was rushed to hospital after suffering serious but non-life threatening injuries. The siblings' mother, believed to be in her 40s, was discharged from hospital on Sunday and is currently being supported by loved ones, the Irish Mirror reports.
Police were initially called to a home in the Rossfield estate in Tallaght at roughly 12.30am on Sunday. A man in his 20s has since been arrested following the deaths and is being held in custody, guardai confirmed. Speaking on RTE Morning Ireland today (September 5), Kevin Shorthall, principal of St Aidan's Community School, paid tribute to big sister Lisa.
"She was a quiet, beautiful young girl, very diligent, hard-working. Got on with her work. Was a great support to her friends in times of trouble, I heard that from a number of people yesterday," he said.
"She is remembered as one of the most honest, genuine young people, full of integrity and no fuss, no drama around her. Got about her business and was hugely, highly regarded and very warmly remembered by so many staff members here in the school.
"I couldn't get over the things that people were saying about her. Just a lovely, lovely person, hugely highly regarded and will be terribly, badly missed. And a lovely big sister to her brothers and sisters as well.
"I believe she was babysitting at the time, and that would have been something that she was just so good at. She was the kind of person you could trust. That's the person Lisa was."
He said that people were "in shock", and that the close-knit Brookfield community would "reach out and mind each other" at this difficult time. He said: "We are all just meeting each other and shaking our heads and giving each other hugs and things like that. It's a very difficult morning."
Mr Shortall said he had liaised with the principal of the primary school that Christy and Chelsea had attended on how to respond to the "unprecedented" tragedy. "The three schools, the junior primary school as well in the area, we will be front and centre and right in the middle of this for the next while," he said.
Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney said that the story "has stunned a lot of people". He said: "Like so many other people, I was just so shocked to read about what happened to two beautiful children and a young teenage girl.
"For the community in Tallaght, for the school communities and obviously for the family members and friends of the deceased, this is really an incredibly shocking, tragic time.
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