Honorary French consul at vigil in Cork for Paris victims

The honorary French consul to Cork, Patricia Mallon, was among more than 400 people at a candlelight vigil in the city centre on Saturday in remembrance of the victims of the Paris attacks.

The ceremony in Daunt Square as dignified and emotional, said Ms Mallon. “It [the attacks] has been terribly shocking. It is wonderful to have an opportunity to get together and to show solidarity with the French people and to mark this tragic occasion. It will have a very unifying effect on the hearts and minds of people. There are fantastic connections between Cork and Paris and the French community here. Their hearts are broken as a result of the atrocities.”

Also there was French native Marina Rousseau, who said "a bit of freedom" died in France over the last few days.

Ms Rousseau said she was shocked at the escalation in violence in Paris after the first atrocity. “It gets worse and worse. Yesterday more killing and the day before more killing. My family is in Brittany so it’s good but still everybody is shocked.”

Her Irish fiancé Andy O'Mahony said such devastation in a free country was a jolt to the French way of life. "It is going to be tough for everybody involved especially in Europe as we are all really intertwined in the European Union.

“We have to support each other right now. The same thing happened with 9/11 in 2001. It is very shocking this would happen in the centre of Paris. There were a few people we did talk to that could easily have been involved in with happened in Paris but they stayed home that day.”

Agnes Huwaert from Belgium, who has been in Ireland since the summer, said she wanted to show solidarity with the French. She said, like all Europeans, she cherishes freedom of speech.

Also there was Polish national Dorota Ostrowska, who said she had a lot of French friends who were all deeply upset by the deaths.

“France is one of the countries in which you can speak freely and express your ideas freely. It is so shocking.”

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Mary Shields, has opened a book of condolences in City Hall in remembrance of the victims of the attacks.

Ms Shields said the crimes in Paris saddened and horrified all decent people.

“I was very upset about it as I know many people all over the world were. The freedom of expression and democracy is very important to all of us.”

The book of condolences is in the atrium of Cork City Hall. Members of the public are encouraged to sign it.