Lawrence Cooke should have been doing the practical exam in woodwork for his Leaving Certificate yesterday. Instead, the 18year-old was on a ventilator fighting for his life in Sligo General Hospital.
One of his friends, Bobby Taylor, would have celebrated his 17th birthday today. Instead, his grief-stricken family and those of two other friends, Tommy Coyle (18) and Michael Higgins (17) are mourning the deaths of the three teenagers drowned when they got into difficulties at Strandhill in Sligo on Sunday.
Lawrence was rescued and brought ashore by two men using a surfboard. He and two of the victims are from the south Sligo village of Gurteen. The third drowned teenager, Michael Higgins, was from Culfadda, a townland nearer the village of Ballymote.
In Gurteen yesterday, there was a palpable air of disbelief as residents tried to accept the reality of the triple tragedy in the community of about 1,300 people. In the local vocational school, which Lawrence attended, 11 of his classmates were deeply upset as they did their practical woodwork exam. The remaining students in the 74-pupil school were sent home.
A teacher in the village school, Mr Nicholas Ryan, described the teenagers who drowned as "three young lads full of enthusiasm, full of life, excellent at Gaelic, one of them [Tommy Coyle] a minor county player. It is a terrible blow to a small community that such a tragedy should happen."
Mr Ryan said it was time Sligo County Council rectified the lack of lifeguards in Strandhill. The beach there is the nearest seaside resort to Gurteen, a distance of about 15 miles.
Rosses Point and Enniscrone are two other beach areas, but most local people head to Strandhill because it is nearer. Yesterday, up to 100 people, including many residents of Gurteen, were in Strandhill to help find the body of the third missing teenager, Tommy Coyle.
At about the time his body was found, shortly after 3 p.m., the remains of Bobby Taylor were brought back through Gurteen to his home at Mount Erwin, just outside the village. Residents in the town stood in silence as the cortege passed through. Afterwards, people had difficulty expressing their shock.
One woman who worked in the village echoed the views of many when she talked of the boys as typical teenagers, full of energy, with a great interest in sport.
The parish priest of Gurteen, Father John Doherty, said the whole community was grieving and every family had been affected by it.
Initially, there had been panic and confusion with first reports of the tragedy, because nine boys had gone to the beach that day. He said the families of the three teenagers who died had expressed their appreciation for the support they had received.
At this stage, he added, it was not a question of words but of support and of being there for the families. "There has been a great outpouring of love and sympathy for the families."
In a local pub, the Roisin Dubh, people found it difficult to speak about the triple tragedy. "Everybody knew them, it is a small community," said one. Another patron spoke of the boys' talent at Gaelic and how Bobby's older brother, Paul Taylor, was a county footballer for Sligo.
In Ballymote, where Michael Higgins and Bobby attended Colaiste Muire school, it was a day of mourning for residents and pupils. Sister Loreto, a teacher at the school, said it had been a very sad day. Michael's younger sister, Aileen, was in second year in the school and the class was very upset. "We talked to the students and prayed with them," she said.
Teachers talked to each class section and all the students were allowed the freedom to move around the school with no lessons taking place. At 2.30 p.m., there was a special service for all the Leaving Certificate students with prayers and candles. The nun described the two boys as "full of life and devilment and fun".
Bobby was a great footballer, a comment echoed throughout the community. "Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that when there are [warning] notices, we don't even read them," she said.
Yesterday evening, as those assisting in the search returned to Gurteen, friends and neighbours began visiting the homes of the two boys whose bodies had already been brought back for burial tomorrow. One woman spoke of the three lads whom she knew quite well. "They were all ready for the excitement of life ahead of them. They couldn't wait to finish school, and now they'll never get the chance."
