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Berkeley tragedy: Family and friends to hold late night vigil

The coffins of four of the young Irish students who died  will be taken to the church where ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

07.39 19 Jun 2015


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Berkeley tragedy: Family and f...

Berkeley tragedy: Family and friends to hold late night vigil

Newstalk
Newstalk

07.39 19 Jun 2015


Share this article


The coffins of four of the young Irish students who died  will be taken to the church where families will have the oppurtunity to be reunited with their loved ones for the first time.

Other J1 students will form a guard of honour for the relatives as they arrive at the church.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that he will meet with the families of those who died and were injured when the time is appropriate.

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The president of UCD says the lives of a 'generation of students' have been completely changed by the Berkeley balcony collapse.

Three of the six victims were UCD students, while many of the injured also attend the university.

President Michael D Higgins was among the dignitaries who joined hundreds of students, staff, family and friends at a memorial service at the college on Friday.

UCD President Andrew Deekes says none of their lives will ever be the same in the wake of the tragedy.

The families of the victims of the Berkeley balcony collapse have been told that the people of Ireland are with them - but ‘no words’ could bring them comfort after the loss of six ‘beautiful’ lives.

An inter-faith memorial service was held by the college for all six victims at Belfield Church on the college campus.

UCD has opened an online book of condolence on its website.

Two of the victims, Eimear Walshe and Lorcan Miller, were medical students at UCD. Dean of Medicine, Professor Pat Murray, spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime earlier.

He told Jonathan "for all us the loss of Eimear and Lorcan is acutely felt. It was obvious that they were both wonderful people as well as excellent students, and would have made an excellent contribution to medicine and society".

Fr Leon O Giollain, who led the service, is UCD's support chaplain. He says the entire student community is coming together to support the victims and their families.

While Taoiseach Enda Kenny signed a book of condolence at the Mansion House in Dublin this morning.

The families of some of those killed and injured in the Berkeley balcony collapse have laid flowers at a memorial to the victims near the scene.

The families were joined by the Diaspora Minister Jimmy Deenihan, who has been sent as the Government representative to Berkeley. 

Seven people remain in hospital in California following the balcony collapse in the early hours of Tuesday morning - two are said to be in a critical condition.

Arrangements are being made to bring home the bodies of five of the students who died.

The mayor of Berkeley says he would support a criminal investigation into how the balcony collapsed, if shoddy workmanship is found to be a factor.

Mayor Tom Bates says he will await the results of the investigation, which are due soon.

He says they will pursue the appropriate action necessary once the investigation is complete, but he has cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

 


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