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.
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