Funeral arrangements: Funeral arrangements were being made yesterday evening for Michael White, the 15-year-old pupil killed in the school bus crash near Clara.
Fr Patrick Keary, parish priest at St Brigid's parish in Clara, said the funeral Mass will be held on Friday morning.
Fr Keary attended the scene of the bus crash yesterday morning and said prayers with Michael's parents.
He said it had been an extremely difficult scene and the school children were traumatised.
"There was a lot of crying and it must have been very difficult for whoever was first at the scene," Fr Keary said.
He returned and prayed for Michael White at morning Mass.
This was the first time many parishioners had heard of the tragedy.
Last night, Fr Keary was officiating at First Confessions in St Brigid's Church. He said they had considered cancelling the ceremony but then decided that it would be more appropriate to use the occasion to pray for everyone involved in the crash.
Dr Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, said last night that arrangements had recently been put in place to commemorate the memory of the five young girls killed in the bus tragedy outside Navan in May last year.
"That another such bus tragedy should involve young people from another school in the diocese is something that will evoke both shock and grief," he said in a statement.
"The solidarity and prayerful support of all in the diocese will be with the White family, with all the injured and with the whole school community as they seek to come to terms with the outcome of this appalling accident."
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