IT IS A “very tough day for Carlow” ahead of the funeral services of two of the boys killed in the M9 crash on Sunday, Bishop of Kildare Denis Nulty said.

Alex McCarthy and Joe Carty’s funerals will take place in Carlow this afternoon.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Nulty said he shares the “widespread revulsion, upset and anger” inspired by the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash, in which a car containing five teenage boys drove on the wrong side of the motorway, colliding with another car.

Three women and a seven-year-old boy remain in hospital following the crash. Nulty said he was praying for their recovery.

There is a need for a wider national conversation around road safety, he continued.

“I think also we need to be careful before people are laid to rest,” he said. “Do the public need to know all the details about the backgrounds? Give the people a chance to grieve.

“There are heartbroken families who need time to grieve. I’ve been with the two Carlow families. I was with them last evening at a wake.

“It’s a terribly hard time. No mother, no father wants to bury their son.”

Nulty said early intervention and support for young people involved in such behaviour is required.

“Young people are great. Let’s try to see how we can get better behaviour by all of us.”

Related Reads

Minister contacts Road Safety Authority over its lack of visibility in aftermath of M9 collision

Watchdog asks TikTok for 'full account' of how it's dealing with videos posted by car theft gangs

Teenage boys killed in M9 Kildare crash have been named locally

Also on RTÉ Radio 1, former garda inspector Tony Gallagher said a strong policing operation is planned for the funerals of the five boys, including today’s services.

“Will it be a respectful funeral or will it be a display? Will it take on a life of its own, because oftentimes these events can take on a life of their own and people can attend who will put on their own displays,” Gallagher said.

“The next thing they’re looking at is, is the emotion. There’s a lot of emotion out there. There’s a lot of anger out there in relation to what has happened.”

He said it’s understandable that gardaí will have a high visibility policing operation in place for these events.