The families of the two Irish teenagers who died on the Greek holiday island of Ios have revealed details of their funeral arrangements, while paying moving tributes to the children.
Thousands are expected to attend services that will be held at the same Dublin church, The Church of the Sacred Heart Donnybrook, but on separate occasions.
The first funeral, on Monday, will be for Max Wall, who collapsed and died after spending a day searching for his friend Andrew O’Donnell.
Max’s family said that with his death “the world has lost a bit of color.”
In a funeral notice they said: ‘Max, with a larger than life personality, brought great joy to the lives of his family and friends and everyone he came in contact with.
Andrew O’Donnell (left) and his classmate Max Wall (right), both 18 and from the same school, died in separate tragic incidents over the weekend.
Thousands are expected to attend services that will be held at the same Dublin church, The Church of the Sacred Heart Donnybrook, but on separate occasions.
‘During her short time, she faced numerous challenges which she endured with great courage and bravery and always remained at her most positive, sunny and fun-filled self.
“Max, to the unimaginable pain of his parents Niall and Fiona, adoring older brother Charlie, Nuala Wall’s grandson and Fiona’s father Carl Laverty, will be sorely missed by his aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, especially in St. Michael’s College”.
His funeral mass will be followed by burial in Kilternan Cemetery Park.
The second service for Andrew, who died after a fall, will take place two days later next Wednesday in the same church, followed by a private family cremation.
Andrew’s family said: ‘Our beloved Andrew passed from this world too soon. Andrew passed away unexpectedly leaving a void that can never be filled.
‘Andrew brought immense joy to the lives of his family, friends and everyone who knew him.
“He had a vibrant spirit, a kind heart, and a sense of humor that brightened the darkest of days. He was known for his passion for sports, his soccer talent, his charming demeanor and his love for his two golden retrievers, Marnie and Maisie.
“He was unfailingly loyal to his friends and family, in Ireland and England, and touched the lives of many during his brief time with us, including those with whom he shared experiences at St. Matthew’s National School, St. Michael’s College Secondary School , Old Belvedere RFC and Belmont FC.’
Dozens of students lined a path leading to the island’s harbor as the bodies of Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, both 18, were brought onto a ferry.
Heads bowed solemnly, many of the young men were pupils at St Michael’s College, Dublin, where the two young men also studied.
The family said the death of the teenager, who fell off a rocky path and was found dead in a ravine, had caused “inexpressible grief” for his parents Bebhinn and Gavin, and his older brother Rory.
His family, including aunts, uncles, cousins in both Ireland and England, and a wide circle of friends, but “especially the Leaving Cert Class of 2023”, deeply mourned his passing.
It comes after poignant footage revealed Irish students forming an honor guard as the bodies of their two friends left the Greek island of Ios.
Dozens of students lined a path leading to the harbor as the bodies of Andrew and Max were taken to a ferry to Athens so autopsies could establish the exact cause of death.
Heads bowed solemnly, many of the young men were students at St Michael’s College, Dublin, where the two young men studied.
They were part of a larger group of students from schools across Ireland. They were on a post-exam vacation in Ios to mark the end of their high school education.
Some of the students placed yellow roses on the hearses of the two students as a token of their friendship, while others wept as their bodies were brought from the Ios Health Center to the port a short distance away on Tuesday.
Some of the students placed yellow roses on the hearses of the two students as a token of their friendship.
Andrew and Max’s parents were also on Ios and accompanied their coffins to Athens.
Greek authorities revealed that initial findings showed that Andrew died after falling and sustaining a head injury. His body was discovered early Sunday morning on a rocky slope near the port area.
Max is believed to have suffered a heart attack just an hour after hearing the news while walking in the harbor area and collapsed at the mouth of an alleyway.
Officials said toxicology tests will also be conducted. Andrew is believed to have gone out at night with friends in Hora, which is packed with bars and clubs selling cheap drinks, before he was separated from them.
He disappeared early on Saturday and He was discovered in a hospital’s rocky drop-off courtyards and on a busy main street more than 24 hours after he was first reported missing.
His body was found in a bushland located just below a popular five-star hotel overlooking the port of Ios. It is one of the busiest spots on the popular Greek holiday island, an area that Greek police had already searched but could not find.
The desperate search for the island also involved his classmates.
Max was found at the entrance to an alleyway near the city’s port.
Andrew O’Donnell, 18, was found dead in a bush (left) located just below a popular five-star hotel and overlooking the port of Ios. Just a few hours later, his friend Max Wall collapsed and was found at the mouth of a narrow alleyway in the port area of Ios (right).
A bouquet of flowers lay at the top of the slope where Andrew was found on Sunday.
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