Monaghan crash tragedy: Friends were ‘touching hands on way to heaven together’, says priest

Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, were travelling to an end-of-school-year ball when the crash happened just outside Clones, Co Monaghan, on Monday.

Their funerals were held yesterday.

The girls, who were being driven to their Debs ball when they were killed, had been close friends since Dlava’s family arrived in Clones as part of a resettlement programme for Syrians.

Funeral prayers for Dlava were held at the Clonskeagh Mosque and Cultural Centre in Dublin ahead of burial in Newcastle Muslim Cemetery, while a mass for Kiea was held at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Clones before burial in Mount St Oliver’s Cemetery.

Students from their school, Largy College in Clones, formed guards of honour at both services.

At Kiea’s funeral, priest Fr John Chester spoke of her father Frankie’s frantic actions as he arrived at the scene of the crash and performed CPR on his daughter and her “soul friend” Dlava.

“The hands of the two girls touching as though they knew they were off to heaven together,” Fr Chester said.

“No father should have to witness such a terrible scene.”

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Fr Chester said the deaths of the teenagers “shocked and saddened the nation”.

Delivering his homily, Fr Chester said Kiea had been looking forward to a career in child care.

He said many had been reflecting on how popular Kiea was among her friends.

“She had a great sense of humour, pleasantly mischievous and innocent,” he told mourners.

“She, like her peers, was rarely off the iPhone keeping in touch. She kicked football with her close circle of friends, played pool, enjoyed music and the weekend discos.

“Kiea was kind, whole-hearted, genuine. She respected others irrespective of race and creed.”

Fr Chester said the two girls would have been “most proud” of how the “deeply united” community in Clones had come together, with streets lined by people paying their respects.

“Family was hugely important to Kiea, she was a very family oriented girl who was everybody's favourite, and our hearts are broken, not only for Kiea and Dlava, but for all of those left behind after this terrible tragedy,” he added.

The priest went on to pay tribute to Dlava as a “gorgeous soul who radiated goodness”.

“The college community is heartbroken. It is a tragedy that, along with their families, the management, staff and fellow students, will not get to see these amazing young women express the full potential of their kind spirits and abundance of gifts,” he said.

Following the service, mourners carried single white roses as they followed the hearse to Mount St Oliver's Cemetery where Kiea was laid to rest.

Many among Kiea's family and loved ones wore light blue T-shirts – bearing a photograph of the teenager wearing her red formal dress – as they walked behind the hearse.

Representatives for Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar joined the local community in the pews, as well as the Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher Ian Ellis.​​​​​​​