Two students from the same secondary school in Dublin have died in separate incidents while on holiday on the Greek island of Ios.
Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, who were both 18, were on holiday with other students from the school, St. Michael's College in Ballsbridge, who had just completed their Leaving Cert exams last month.
Speaking on RTÉ, Principal of St. Michael’s College, Tim Kelleher, said the school community is heartbroken.
“We have a very tight-night community and these are two fantastic young men with their lives ahead of them,” he said.
“Bright, sporting, academic men who had their who life ahead of them and looking forward to this particular trip for months on end and the planning had been ongoing, not just in our school, but in lots of other schools.
“So, I think there are hundreds and hundreds of families this morning plunged into deep, deep sadness because of what has occurred. And again we are reeling with it.
“It’s exactly the nightmare that every parent dreads when group holidays and big groups of children go away.
“You just don’t want to get the call to say your child is missing, but two of our families have had that call and we are devastated for them and our hearts are broken and our sympathy goes to them all.”
Andrew went missing on Friday before his body was discovered in a rocky area at the weekend. On Sunday, Max died on the same island.
It is expected that many of the other boys from St. Michael's who are on Ios will now return home.
The Irish Embassy in Athens is providing consular support.
In a post, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said: “My deepest sympathies to the families of Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall on the very sad loss of their beloved sons.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all of the St. Michael’s College community, their friends and classmates.”
