A TEENAGE boy whose body was found in a disused building in Co Mayo on Tuesday was the second student at a local school to take his own life in recent days.
The body of the 15-year-old, a third-year student at Rice College, Westport, was found in a building on Mill Street in the town on Tuesday afternoon.
The tragedy came just eight days after the body of another 15-year-old Rice College student, who was also in third year, was found in the grounds of the college.
The two boys were friends and were both due to sit the Junior Certificate examination in June.
The discovery of the second boy's body has plunged staff and students at the 450-pupil college, as well as the wider community, into renewed grief.
Counsellors from the National Educational Psychological Service were back at the school yesterday providing individual counselling for those who needed it as well as group counselling. A number of prayer services were held throughout the day by the school chaplain, Fr Micheál Mannion.
Frank McCarrick, recently retired principal, acted as spokesman for the college yesterday on the latest tragedy.
He said the board of management, staff and students alike were devastated by the sudden death. The two boys who had died were popular students who would be missed, he said. He also appealed for the media to show sensitivity to the family and the wider community when reporting the latest death.
The boy whose body was found on Tuesday lived with his father and younger sister. He was predeceased by his mother some years ago. He was reported missing at 11.40am on Tuesday, some hours before his body was found in the unoccupied building near the town centre.
Supt Pat Doyle, head of the Westport Garda district, said last night the death was particularly hard for the community and school to bear given the very recent death of another young person.
"My heartfelt and deepest sympathy goes out to the family and the staff and students of Rice College on their loss which is immeasurable", he said.
Students, some of them in tears, gathered yesterday in different parts of the college, which is run by the Christian Brothers. Some hugged as they met. Parents called to the school during the day to offer them support and encouragement.