Kickham Plaza provides a focal point for grief following Clonmel tragedy

For generations to come the new Kickham Plaza will be indelibly linked to the extraordinary outpouring of grief that was witnessed in the wake of the most horrific tragedy to strike Clonmel in living memory.

The smiling faces of Nicole Murphy, Zoey Coffey, Grace and Luke McSweeney beam out from the pictures that adorn an impromptu shrine covered in flowers and candles.

Their friends gather at the steps of the altar to recall the good times they had with their friends, to be together and to comfort one another every day and late into the night in the atmospheric lighting of the new public space.

The people of the town stop to reflect as they take time out from their daily routine, on a break from work or when walking the dog to say a prayer for the victims and their families.

Since the Kickham Plaza provided a platform for the people of the town to express their grief collectively in the vigil that took place on the weekend of the accident, the new public space has become the focal point for grieving.

“In time, and if considered appropriate by the bereaved families, there might be a memorial plaque erected to remember the four victims and mark the role that the Kickham Plaza played in bringing the people of the town together during troubled and difficult days.

The community spirit of the town shone through,” said Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Richie Molloy.

As Fr Michael Toomey put it at the funeral Mass of Zoey Coffey - “Clonmel. When we were at our lowest – we were at our best.”