THE two students killed in a horrific car crash in Lucan at the weekend had been on a break during an extra study day at school when they died.

Friends of leaving certificate students Richard Kearney (19) and James Rafferty (17) gathered at Colaiste Phadraig CBS in Lucan today as they tried to come to terms with the horrific accident that claimed the young men's lives.

The two students were attending extra woodwork classes on Saturday and decided to go into Lucan village while on a break.

Their blue Citroen C3 lost control as they went round a bend and it smashed into a garden wall.

Friends of Richard from Foxborough Estate and James from Larkfield Estate in Lucan have left dozens of tributes on Bebo pages.

Richard's mother Loretto thanked all his school pals by leaving a message on his site.

She wrote: "My beautiful lad, sorry for reading your messages but wanted to. Thanks to all for keeping him in your hearts xxx Love you forever Mam."

The Kearney family have also placed a death notice in newspapers thanking staff in Connolly Hospital "who looked after Richard in his final hours".

holiday

"We would also like to offer our sincere sympathy to all the other families who were involved in this tragic accident. He will always be in our hearts," says the notice.

The boys were just weeks from completely their secondary school education and were looking forward to their Debs during the summer.

James was also preparing for his 18th birthday and a summer holiday in Cyprus.

It is thought that Richard and Jamie were backseat passengers in the car.

Three other students were rushed to James Connolly Memorial Hospital where their conditions are not thought to be life-threatening.

A special memorial was set up in the school yesterday with pictures of the boys. The scene of the accident has also become a shrine with friends and teachers leaving flowers.

Local councillor Derek Keating who lives close to where the accident occurred said it "was a very sad place to be".

He expressed his sympathies to the family and told the Herald: "It changes the focus completely for the students who had been preparing for exams and making holiday plans for afterwards.

"It's just absolutely horrific. It is only a two- or three-minute drive from the school down to the village," he explained.

Meanwhile, an Irish backpacker has been killed in a road accident in Australia.

Richard Gahan (23) from Geashill, Co Offaly, was in Australia on a working holiday.

Two of his friends, also from Offaly, were injured when their Toyota Corolla hatch- back smashed into an electricity poll.

Police are investigating whether the men were wearing seatbelts at the time.

Senior constable Mark Matthews said: "The early indication is that speed was a factor in the crash."

It was a weekend of carnage on Irish roads with motorists also killed in Cork and Mayo.

prayers

Prayers were offered in Fermoy yesterday for Ciara O'Brien (26) who died in an accident on Saturday. Her car was in a collision with a vehicle driven by a man with four young children near Mitchelstown.

And a fourth person was killed, in a two-car crash near Castlebar, in Co Mayo on Friday night. The Lithuanian national named as Karoys Kryzevivius (26) had been living in the area for some time.

kdoyle@herald.ie

- Kevin Doyle