The mother of one of five young men killed in a crash on Ireland’s motorway today apologized to the family who were hit by the vehicle he was driving at his funeral.
Relatives and friends of 17-year-old Jack Kennedy followed the procession as it traveled through Athy in County Kildare ahead of his funeral at St Michael’s Parish Church.
The solemn procession in the historic market town was watched by Garda officers following the crash in the early hours on Sunday at junction three of the M9 motorway.
The five teenagers were killed after the car they were traveling in went the wrong way and was involved in a head-on collision with another car.
Funerals have already been held for four youths killed in the crash: Joey Carthy, 15; Alex McCarthy, 16; Kamil Pustkowski, 17; and Jeremy O’Brien, 18.
Three sisters and a young boy from the same family, who were in the other car, were seriously injured. They were going to the airport on vacation.
At Jack’s funeral, his mother Sarah apologized to the family at the hospital, saying: ‘Five young boys made a bad choice. Five young boys paid the ultimate price. Five families lost their babies. Five families received life sentences. May they all rest in peace.
“Secondly, we would all like to offer our deepest, sincerest apologies to the families who were injured. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. We pray to God that you all make a full recovery and again, we are sorry.”
The procession for 17-year-old Jack Kennedy passes through Athy in County Kildare today
Relatives and friends of 17-year-old Jack Kennedy followed the procession through Athy today
The solemn procession in the historic market town follows the crash on August 16
The teens were killed after the car they were riding in went the wrong way
In the eulogy, Canon Frank McEvoy referred to the anger expressed on social media around the incident.
He said, “Words can hurt, and words have the power to heal. This also applies to actions. Our actions can hurt people, and our actions can heal people.
‘In all these situations we are responsible for the words we use, and especially for the actions we take.’
He said the feeling in the parish after the crash was “a sense of shock, confusion, disbelief and, above all, anger.”
“Anger is a very dangerous emotion, and when it starts to curdle and build up in the community, anything can happen,” he said.
“When you look at social media and look at the comments and hear what people are saying, it’s the result of bad actions, and very often all of that causes so much pain for the family.
‘Sarah said it so beautifully: she doesn’t want any of you to walk in her shoes and have to bury her son. There is no great future in all this.
“And again, like I said, the dust has settled a bit, and the week has passed. There is something I want to say, especially to Jack’s friends, and it is this: if you are considering continuing this criminal activity, will you please stop?
“One word, stop. Because this is the end.
“This is a broken family, and the consequences will befall you, for you, for your families, for the communities in which you live, and then you have the innocent victims, like the people who are in the hospital and trying to recover.
The cortege for Jack Kennedy’s funeral arrives at St Michael’s Parish Church today
A Garda officer watches as mourners arrive for the funeral at St Michael’s parish church today
The coffin will be taken to St Michael’s Parish Church in Athy today for Jack Kennedy’s funeral
Mourners gather at St Michael’s Parish Church in Athy today for Jack Kennedy’s funeral
Jack Kennedy, 17, was one of five teenagers killed in the crash on the M9 motorway
The incident on August 16 left five teenagers dead in a wrong-way driving accident in County Kildare
‘It’s not necessary. So again, I’m telling you: please, please, please, stop.”
One of the items brought to the altar was a car, which symbolized Jack’s “love of cars.”
Young, Wild & Free by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa played as the casket was removed from the chapel for a private cremation.
The crash, which happened around 3 a.m., has raised questions about online videos of dangerous driving and how social media companies deal with illegal content.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said today about the incident that there has been a ‘breakdown in respect for authority’ and the ‘value of life’.
He also spoke about deep social issues, saying the situation is multi-faceted and includes social media, government, the criminal justice system and road safety issues.
Last week, TikTok refused to publicly appear before an Oireachtas committee, with the social media giant offering a private briefing to lawmakers instead.
Yesterday at O’Brien’s funeral in Askea, the priest told mourners that ‘what the boys did was wrong’, but that ‘tragedy’ should not become the whole story.
Irish police maintained a visible presence in the County Carlow town amid outrage over the circumstances of the crash and concerns about possible disorder.
Young men wore T-shirts with an image of Mr O’Brien on the front, and Father Tom Little told mourners there was a “deep sense of sadness and loss”.
