Vigil to be held in Carlow for those injured in M9 crash

The parish priest for Graiguecullen, Co Carlow, has said a vigil being held there tomorrow for three women and a boy injured in last weekend's crash on the M9 will be a chance for the community to show solidarity.

The vigil will take place in St Clare’s Church in the town at 6.30pm.

Fr John Dunphy said it is an opportunity for members of the community to show solidarity with the family who were injured, and who have been through a traumatic few days.

The family were travelling to Dublin Airport to attend a wedding in the UK when a car being driven the wrong way on the M9 in Co Kildare collided with their vehicle.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Fr Dunphy said the people in the community have shown a sense of wanting to rally around the family involved.

"Not just the community and beyond as well and internationally, we’re getting messages of prayers and supports for the three ladies and the young boy," he said, adding that fundraising pages had also been set up to help them.

Fr Dunphy said people in the community were "totally devastated and sad that the family has to go through this ordeal", adding that the community is "praying they make a full recovery".

"The road will be long ahead we know, and please God they get there soon."

The family involved in the crash have appealed for privacy, but Fr Dunphy said they are very appreciative of the support they have been receiving.

"We have been in contact with some of their close family friends and they tell us that they still need our prayers and there will be a long road ahead for them. We will keep praying and keeping them in our thoughts as well," he said.

An online fundraiser has already raised more than €500,000.

"You can’t get any better support than that," he said, adding that people are "willing to offer that material support but also spiritual support as well".

"We organised this to invite people to come along and pray together as a group as a community to offer prayers for them and to also invite people to join online as well as it will be live-streamed."

Five teenage boys who were in a car travelling on the wrong side of the motorway died in the crash.

Fr Dunphy said prayers would also be offered to the families of the deceased.

"All deaths as a result of an accident are tragic," Fr Dunphy said.

"Now that the dust has settled people realise that the boys have parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins and they are hurting.

"We will be remembering them in our prayers too."