THE FUNERAL OF Jack Kennedy (17), one of five teenagers killed in a crash on the M9, took place today.

Mourners heard that he and his friends “paid their price” for driving the wrong way down the motorway to evade gardaí.

Jack died alongside friends Alex McCarthy (16) and Joe Carthy (15), who were buried on Friday, Kamil Pustkowski (17) who was cremated the same day, and Jeremy O’Brien (18), who was cremated on Monday.

A child and three women were on the way to Dublin Airport for a holiday when the car the teenage boys were travelling in struck them head-on. They are still in hospital.

At St Michael’s Parish Church today, Jack’s coffin was taken up the aisle to Bruno Mars’s song Just The Way You Are.

It followed a procession through Athy, which was led by a horse-drawn carriage.

Speaking during the service, Jack’s mother said the teenagers “made a bad choice”.

“Five young boys paid the ultimate price. Five families lost their babies. Five families got a life sentence.”

She also offered “heartfelt apologies” to the people in the other car who were injured.

She thanked family, friends, neighbours, “and even strangers” for their kindness and support. 

‘Please stop’

A garda looks on as mourners arrive at St. Michael's Parish Church Alamy Alamy

Canon Frank McEvoy, who also spoke at the service, said the parish was in “disbelief” at the tragedy.

He addressed young people, saying: “If you are considering continuing this criminal activity, will you please stop? Just one word: stop.

McEvoy went on to say: “This is a family broken, and the consequences of that will happen to you too, for you yourself, for your families, the communities in which you live in, and then you will have the innocent victims.

“There is no need for it. So again, I say to you, please, please, please, stop.”

There was a modest garda presence at today’s funeral, as there had been at the services for the four other boys. The force had been on high alert for potential disorder, considering the circumstances of the crash.