Vigil to take place in Co Carlow for three sisters and boy injured in M9 crash

Vivienne Clarke

A vigil will take place in Graiguecullen, Co Carlow on Friday evening to show community support for the three sisters, Alma and Niamh Kinsella and Ella Hendricken, and a seven-year-old boy who were all seriously injured in the crash on the M9 on Sunday morning in which five teens died.

Parish priest Fr John Dunphy told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that the vigil was an opportunity for the whole community “to show their support to the young ladies and the young boy and their families and I think the community is very anxious to do that.”

People in the community and beyond wanted to support the family, not just materially through a GoFundMe account, but also to offer their spiritual support.

“We've been praying at all our masses since the news broke last Sunday morning, as has every other parish in Ireland and beyond as well.”

The community had been devastated that this family were going through this ordeal and they wanted to pray for a full recovery. They had a long road ahead. “Please God they will get there soon.”

The priest said he understood the family had appealed for privacy, which the community wanted to respect, but he also knew they were appreciative of the support they had received.

“We've been in contact with some of their close family friends and they tell us that they still need our prayers and that there will be a long road ahead for them so to keep praying and to keep keeping them in our thoughts as well.”

The vigil was being organised to invite people to come along and pray as a group, as a community, to offer prayers for them, he added.

The vigil will be livestreamed so people can participate online.

“All deaths as a result of accidents are tragic. This is a real tragic situation. I suppose now that the dust has settled a little bit, I think people do realise that those boys have parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins and they too are hurting and they do need our prayers and we will be remembering them in our prayers as well.”