GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING a car crash which claimed the lives of four teenagers in Co Kerry on Wednesday are focusing their inquiries as to how the teenagers came to be in the car at the time of the crash.
Brothers David (17) and Kevin Breen (15) from Hazelwood Drive, Ballyspillane, Killarney and Áine O’Riordan (15) from St John’s Park, Castleisland, all died at the scene while Brian Coffey (19) from Crohane, Fossa, died later in hospital.
A fifth passenger in the car, Darragh Jones (16) from Farranfore who was seriously injured in the crash was yesterday said to be making good progress at Kerry General Hospital in Tralee where his condition was described as “stable”.
Gardaí are trying to establish how the five teenagers involved in the crash came to be in possession of the 10-year-old Hyundai Accent as it was on loan from a garage to another teenager at the time while his own car was being repaired.
Two of the occupants of the silver Hyundai Accent, which crashed at Carrigeen some six kilometres from Killarney at 7.10am on Wednesday, were earlier at a house party in Kilcummin outside Killarney at around 3am, gardaí have established.
Gardaí have also established that the teenager to whom the Hyundai had been given as a replacement car while his own car was being repaired by a garage in Barraduff also attended the house party in Kilcummin.
Officers are trying to establish whether or not the teenager gave his consent for others to use the replacement car and how those involved in the fatal crash came to have possession of the vehicle and for how long they had it prior to the crash.
It’s understood that officers spoke yesterday to the owner of the garage to whom the car is registered but they have yet to take a formal statement from him while they will also seek to speak to up to eight teenagers who were at the house party.
It’s expected that officers will also seek to speak to the survivor, Darragh Jones to try and ascertain what exactly happened both in the hours before and the immediate run-up to the crash whenever doctors deem him fit to be interviewed.
However senior gardaí admitted that it was a difficult investigation to pursue given the tragedy which unfolded and officers are approaching the matter with sensitivity and will wait until the four deceased are buried before carrying out in-depth inquiries.
Meanwhile the full impact of the tragedy was evident last night in Castleisland as hundreds of mourners called to the home of Áine O’Riordan in St John’s Park.
Local curate Fr Michael Moynihan spoke of the huge sadness felt.
“It’s devastating for Áine’s parents her sisters, her grandparents and her great grandmother – our thoughts and prayers are with them and with her friends at this very difficult time.”
“She was a bright, intelligent girl with a lot going for her and she was looking forward to return to school here at the convent next week to meet up with her friends for the fun and the craic but all that changes so very quickly with something like this,” he said.
There were emotional scenes as mourners sympathised with Áine’s distraught parents, Dan and Mary, and sisters, Samantha, Cait and Tara as she lay in repose in the family home.
Áine’s funeral mass will take place at Castleisland Parish Church at 11am today and she will be buried afterwards at Clogher Cemetery in Ballymacelligot between Castleisland and Tralee.
Meanwhile, David and Kevin Breen are being removed from O’Shea’s Funeral Home in Killarney at 6.30pm tonight to St Mary’s Cathedral with funeral mass at 10.30am on Saturday and burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Kilcummin.
Brian Coffey’s remains are being removed from his house which is private to Fossa Church at 11am on Saturday for funeral mass with burial afterwards at Aghadoe Cemetery outside Killarney.
Hundreds of people signed a book of condolences opened at Ballyspillane Resource Centre while counselling facilities were also made available for friends of the deceased.