Community to gather for vigil as fundraiser for family injured in M9 crash passes €500k
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The vigil will take place at St Clare’s Church in Graiguecullen on Friday evening
A community vigil will be held in Carlow on Friday evening in support of the family who were seriously injured in the devastating M9 motorway collision that claimed the lives of five teenagers.
The gathering is expected to bring together family, friends and members of the wider community as they continue to pray for the recovery of sisters Alma and Niamh Kinsella, along with their younger sister Ella Hendricken, who were travelling with a seven-year-old boy, believed to be Alma’s son, when the crash occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The four were travelling from Graiguecullen to Dublin Airport to attend a family wedding in the UK when their Hyundai was struck by a BMW travelling in the wrong direction on the M9 near Moone, Co Kildare. Five teenage boys travelling in the BMW died at the scene.
Alma and Niamh remain in critical condition in Tallaght University Hospital, while Ella is being treated for serious injuries. The young boy is also receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the collision.
The vigil, which will take place on Friday evening at St Clare’s Church in Graiguecullen at 6.30pm, has been organised as a show of solidarity for the family as they face what loved ones have described as a long road to recovery.
Meanwhile, support for the family has poured in from across Ireland through a GoFundMe campaign established by family friend Bryan Curley.
In the fundraiser, Mr Curley said he set up the appeal for his "best friend Ella and her sisters, Niamh and Alma" following the serious road traffic collision. He described the past few days as "an incredibly difficult and frightening time" for the family and said the sisters are facing a "long and challenging road ahead".
The response has been extraordinary, with hundreds of thousands of euro raised in a matter of days. At the time of writing, the fundraiser had raised an incredible €527,940.
The GoFundMe has attracted thousands of donations from people across Ireland and beyond, including some famous Irish names including Garron Noone and Roz Purcell. All funds are set to go directly to the family to help support their recovery and future needs.
Messages of support have continued to flood social media, with many people offering prayers, well wishes and donations as the family battles through the aftermath of one of the country's most shocking road tragedies in recent memory.