Vigil held for four people injured in M9 crash

A vigil is taking place in County Carlow for the family injured in the crash on the M9 in the Republic of Ireland last weekend.

Five teenagers were killed in a head-on crash while they were driving the wrong way down the motorway in County Kildare in the early hours of Sunday.

Three women and a seven-year-old boy remain in hospital where they are being treated for serious injuries.

It is believed the injured family were travelling to the airport to go on holiday when the crash happened.

The vigil is taking place at St Clare's Church in Graiguecullen.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ News reported the church is full and some people have been accommodated in the nearby parish centre where the vigil was live streamed.

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Denis Nulty, said people felt "helpless" and that "words fail".

He thanked the first responders "who were on the M9 for hours last Sunday".

"We also remember the five boys in the [other] car and that's the Christian thing to do," Bishop Nulty said.

Fr John Dunphy said that "when a community comes together in prayer, it gives great strength".

"Since last Sunday morning, our hearts were numb."

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland programme on Friday morning, Bishop Nulty said the vigil was "hugely important".

"People often at times like this don't know what to do," he said, adding that it was a "very tough day for Carlow and the wider area".

He added that he was "saddened" by the actions of the five teenagers in the lead up to the crash.

The five teenagers who died in the car that was driving the wrong way down the motorway have been named as Joe Carthy from Athy, County Kildare, Alex McCarthy from Carlow, Kamil Pustkowski from Limerick, Jeremy O'Brien and Jack Kennedy.

The funerals of Joe Carthy and Alex McCarthy took place in Athy and Carlow earlier on Friday.

The funeral of Jeremy O'Brien will take place on Monday.