Pals' guard of honour as students come home

Family & friends watch as coffins put on ferry

- PAUL HEALY

FRIENDS of the Leaving Cert students who died in Greece formed a guard of honour as their families took their bodies aboard a ferry for the journey home. 

There were emotional scenes as crowds stood in stony silence ahead of Dubliners Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall’s last voyage.

As the coffins bearing the 18-year-old St Michael’s College lads were removed from Ios’ health centre, up to 500 Irish people lined the route all the way down to the Pireaus-bound ferry.

One witness said: “No one moved until the ferry disappeared over the horizon. You could have heard a pin drop.”

One local person described the scene as “heartbreaking”. She added: “All these kids lined up, heads bowed, to say goodbye on what should have been a wonderful [school leaving] trip.

“It was a sight to behold and never forget.”

In the wake of the double tragedy bars have stayed closed as a mark “of respect and solidarity” for the grieving families.

Flowers were left beneath a cactus tree on the spot where Andrew’s body was found early on Sunday.

A bouquet was also placed on the side street where Max, who reportedly had a history of heart problems, lost consciousness and collapsed.

The youngsters were marking the end of their exams with around 90 of their classmates on Ios when they died in separate tragic incidents over the weekend.

Postmortem results have not yet been released but while police do not suspect foul play, they won’t rule anything out until the pathologist’s report is returned.