The funeral of twins Chelsea and Christy Cawley (8) and Lisa Cash (18) will be held this morning in Brookfield, Tallaght.
The three siblings were killed in horrific circumstances in their home at Rossfield Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning, causing deep devastation and sending shockwaves through the local community.
Three horse-drawn carriages carried the three white caskets of the siblings as they were brought to St. Aidan’s Church in Tallaght in south Co Dublin on Thursday night. As the removal of the remains took place, heart-shaped floral tributes for each of the killed siblings were placed outside the Church, as the children’s mother, Margaret Cash, was held by loved ones. The siblings’ older sister, also named Margaret, and brother Mickey were also present.
Heartbreaking scenes as funerals of three Tallaght siblings to take placehttps://t.co/5jZEAzCIXL pic.twitter.com/CWiUIXXPWO
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Fr. Bill O’Shaughnessy was there to welcome mourners to the church for the removal last night, as he told family and friends: “We have been robbed of three young lives”.
He said Chelsea, Christy and Lisa are “forever loved and sadly mourned” by their beloved family, who have not only been robbed of their lives, but also “of our innocence”.
Speaking on the impact the violent murders have had on the Tallaght community, the priest said: “Our sense of what is normal – that is shattered, broken.
“People are stopping each other in the streets, in the shops in disbelief, ‘how could this happen’?”
Fr O’Shaughnessy also said that the family wanted to pay very special thanks to everyone for the outpouring of support, love and kindness since the tragedy last weekend.
“Being together makes us stronger and helps us take the next step and the next step,” he said as he urged mourners to have a look at the artwork from pupils at St Aidan’s School and St Bridget’s School, brought to illustrate classmates’ appreciation and love for Chelsea, Christy and Lisa.
He also encouraged the grieving community to “talk about what’s going on in your heads and in your hearts”.
It comes as Andy Cash (24), a brother of the three siblings, was charged with their murder.
Fr O’Shaughnessy spoke on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme ahead of the funeral this morning. He said Fr. Paul Driscoll, the chaplain of the Dublin Travelling community, will be the chief celebrant of this morning’s funeral mass.
“I have to say it was probably one of the most quiet removals to a church I have ever experienced since my ordination,” he said as he reflected on the emotion of Thursday night.
“It was a moment where the community and all those present were just shocked and numbed at seeing such beautiful, young lives being brought into a church at this stage. It was quite extraordinary and to see the family just completely numb and silent”.
Fr O’Shaughnessy added: “We really are a small community and parish that’s reeling from a desperate incident that has, in many respects, dealt a very grievous blow which is very much echoed up and down the country.
“It is amazing the amount of people around the country and indeed from other countries who have sent heartfelt messages and prayers to me here and parish team and also to the family, which gives some kind of idea of how much this incident has shocked both the nation and other people in different countries, not alone that poor family who are at the centre of all of this.”
There “is no manual to prepare for something like this,” he added, continuing: “It really is a week of reacting hour by hour, as things evolve and as situations take place”.
“I think it’s building on that and your experience with family and friends and neighbours who have rallied around the family, that’s where the real preparation comes in. When it comes to the funeral mass, it’s again it’s something that evolves, it’s an organic approach you can only take. As I said, there’s no manual for this”.