Buncrana pier tragedy: The worst thing I've ever had, says family priest

Catholic cleric Donal McKeown and Church of Ireland Bishop for Derry and Raphoe Ken Good together went to the home of Louise McGrotty – who lost her husband, two children and her mother and sister in the drowning accident – to comfort her and other bereaved relations.

“There are no adequate words in the face of such pain,” said Bishop McKeown.

“My thoughts and prayers are with those who are bereaved, in particular a grieving mother.

“I ask the people of the diocese to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers over the coming days and weeks.”

Bishop Good said the whole community had been touched by news of the deaths.

“Everybody right across the community, right across the whole country and right across the world I think wants to express their solidarity, their sympathy, their standing togetherness and that’s what we want to do,” he said.

The senior church figures were accompanied to the house in the Ballymagroarty area of Londonderry by the family’s parish priest Father Paddy O’Kane from Holy Family Church.

At the bungalow in St Eithne’s Park there was a steady stream of ashen-faced visitors throughout Monday.

Fr O’Kane described the tragedy as the worst he had seen in 43 years and said the entire community was struggling to comprehend its magnitude.

“Words fail me to describe the depth of pain and the vastness of this tragedy,” he said.

He added: “I am 43 years a priest and nothing compares to this. This is way beyond anything in my wildest imagination.

“This is the worst thing I have ever had.

“When I went up there this morning people were just standing around – men were just standing looking at the ground not knowing what to say.

“All you can do is just shake their hand and say ‘I’m sorry’. A respectful silence is all I could muster.

“Before I left the house I said the Lord’s Prayer with everyone to give Louise and her family strength.

“We all knew there was a terrible tragedy that happened in Buncrana last night but we didn’t realise it was on our doorstep. Little did I know it was going to come here.”

It is understood the family had celebrated eight-year-old Evan’s first confession just a fortnight ago and were preparing for his first communion in May.

Baby Rionaghac-Ann, the sole survivor of the accident, was christened in January.

Fr O’Kane said: “It was a time of celebration. Little did we think that so soon after we were going to have such a tragedy on our doorstep.”

He said the funerals of all five will take place on Thursday at the Holy Family Church in Ballymagroarty.