Sadly, seven others were seriously injured in the incident which has shocked and saddened not just those Ireland and the US, but the rest of the world.
As the families prepare to bring their loved ones home, a gofundme account ‘Irish J1 Berkeley Tragedy Fund’ has been set up by Celine Kennelly of the Irish Immigration Pastoral Centre (IIPC) to “support and assist the immediate needs of the families and students in Berkeley.”
So far the account has raised an incredible $125,000/€150,000 for the families, with people from Ireland, the US and other countries generously giving money to help.
The accident which occurred during a 21st birthday party claimed the lives of six young Irish citizens, five of whom had travelled to California on J1 visas: Ashley Donohue from California with Irish citizenship; Olivia Burke, Eimear Walsh, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster and Lorcán Miller; all with addresses in Ireland.
Talking about the tragedy, Irish Consul General in San Francisco Philip Grant said: "Parents have come out here very worried about the state they might find their children in, have been reassured to find that there’s that support, that solidarity is there. [The students] have been amazing in the things they’ve done in keeping rotas going in hospitals, keeping everybody connected to everybody else."
“From the word go, when this happened, they did everything that has allowed us to get everything done so smoothly and to help the families. You have the expression ‘You stand on the shoulder of giants’. There were a lot of giants among those students after what happened,” he added.
