Leaving Cert students in Mountrath, Co Laois, who walked out of their exams on Monday in distress over the deaths of three friends in a car crash will have their plight looked at compassionately, the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, said yesterday.
The students at St Aengus's Vocational School had left the exam hall within a half-hour of the distribution of the second Irish paper. Yesterday they sat the rest of their papers as scheduled.
An air of grief continued to envelop the small rural communities of south Laois yesterday as the funerals of the last two crash victims took place. Matthew Peters (20) and Raymond Cuddy (21) died along with a third victim, Aoife Carroll (17) at the weekend.
Ms Carroll's funeral took place on Monday in her native village of Camross. Amid scenes of heartrending sorrow the funeral of Matthew Peters got under way at 2.30 p.m. yesterday followed by burial in Mountrath Cemetery. Raymond Cuddy's funeral took place at 7 p.m. followed by burial in nearby Shanahoe Cemetery.
Dr Laurence Forristal, Bishop of Ossory, attended both services and spoke of the loss suffered by the communities. Dr Forristal told the families to take some hope from the "support the local community has given you".
Father Edmond Rhatigan told the congregation at Raymond Cuddy's funeral that suffering was not a punishment. "There is no answer that will satisfy the human heart as to why this happened."
Prayers were also offered at both services for those critically ill in hospital, Jackie Cuddy (Raymond's sister), Fergal Hanlon and Lorraine Bowe are still on life support machines in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. A spokesperson for the hospital described their conditions yesterday as still "very critical". Three other people are still receiving treatment in Portlaoise General Hospital.
In what must have been a harrowing ordeal, Matthew Peters's brother and sister, John and Susan, sat their French exams yesterday. They were provided with a separate room.
A Department inspector and a Department of Education psychologist will remain on hand in the school to provide support and comfort to the students.