First injured Irish Berkeley student returns home as five funerals arranged

As the final preparations for the funerals of the five Irish students killed in the collapse of an apartment balcony are being made the first of the seven other Irish students injured in the accident is returning home.

Meanwhile the Irish and Irish American community continue to rally around the grieving families and have raised close to $300,000 to help cover their expenses.

Sean Fahey, from Rathmines in Dublin, will travel home with his family. He has been in hospital since the accident in the early hours of Tuesday, June 16. He was reportedly released from hospital on Sunday and has been staying with family in the Bay Area.

The six other injured students remain in hospital near Berkeley and are making good progress. They are not expected to travel home this week for the funerals of their friends who lost their lives.

The remains of Olivia Burke arrived to Dublin on Monday. Her family in California had celebrated a joint funeral mass for Burke and her cousin Ashley Donohue, who was also killed in the accident.

Five funeral masses will be held over the coming days in Dublin. Eimear Walsh and Eoghan Culligan’s funerals will take place Tuesday morning.

Walsh’s Mass will be held at 11am at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock. Parish priest Father Frank Herron remembered Walsh as playing an active role in the local community.

The University College Dublin (UCD) medicine student will be accompanied on her final journey to Shanganagh Cemetery by her parents Jim and Patricia, her brother Robert, and family and friends.

Her body lay in repose in Fanagan’s Funeral Home, in Dundrum, on Monday afternoon for a number of hours before returning to the family home for the night.

Eoghan Culligan's parents Marie and Gerry will say their final goodbye to their youngest son in the Church of the Annunciation in Rathfarnham after 11am Mass on Tuesday. The Dublin Institute of Technology student will be buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery.

Culligan was said to be extremely close to his brothers Andrew and Stephen. His "loving girlfriend" Sarah is also expected to attend.

His family has requested for family flowers only at the funeral and have asked instead that donations be made to the Fr Peter McVerry Trust or the Nepal Disaster Fund if desired.

Niccolai Schuster will be laid to rest on Wednesday after an 11am funeral Mass in the Church of the Three Patrons, in Rathgar. The UCD student will then be brought to the crematorium at Mount Jerome in Harold's Cross.

Olivia Burke, who attended Loreto College, in Foxrock, with Eimear Walsh and Aoife Beary, who remains injured in hospital, will be buried after an 11am funeral Mass on Wednesday morning. The 21-year-old will then be brought to the cemetery in Deansgrange, led by her parents Paul and Paula and brother Gavin.

Lorcán Miller, who was a classmate of Eimear Walsh in UCD, will be buried on Thursday morning after an 11am funeral Mass in the Rathmichael Parish Church, in Shankill. He was the eldest son of Ken and Sinéad Miller's children and was "adored" by his siblings Jamie, Lucy and Poppy. The Miller family have requested family flowers only for the funeral with donations instead being made to the Irish Cancer Society.

An Irish government official will attend each funeral.

Hundreds gathered for memorial service for victims of Berkeley balcony collapse at UCD http://t.co/dtKT4h6Km5 #ntfm pic.twitter.com/jpuwv8rIfM
— Newstalk 106-108fm (@NewstalkFM) June 19, 2015

The other six who remain in hospital in California are all aged 21 and all from Dublin. They have been named as Jack Halpin, Conor Flynn, Niall Murray, Clodagh Cogley, Aoife Beary, and Hannah Waters.

Although only limited medical reports have been released it is believed that Conor Flynn will require extensive physiotherapy but is expected to make a full recovery.

Doctors are also happy with the recovery being made by National University of Ireland Galway Niall Murray.

Jack Halpin is making progress but it has been slower than hoped. Halpin is being treated for back injuries and two broken legs. He is said to be in a fair condition at John Muir Hospital.

Clodagh Cogley suffered extensive injuries to her legs and spine.

Aoife Beary, whose birthday they were celebrating on the balcony, has undergone extensive surgery and is not expected to be able to return to Ireland for some time.

Hannah Waters remains in Highland Hospital, with Beary.

All six students face long physical and mental recoveries, and they probably won't be returning to Ireland soon, the Reverend Aidan McAleenan of St. Columba Catholic Church, in Oakland, told the Associated Press.

Fundraising for the families and friends of those effected has exceeded the expectations of the Irish San Francisco community. The Irish Immigration Pastoral Center, in San Francisco, raised more than $198,901 (€176,870) in online donations. Among the donations is a single anonymous donation of $11,242.

Also the American Ireland Fund has donated $100,000 (€88,000) to “support those who are providing care and assistance on the ground, in particular the San Francisco Irish Pastoral Center.”

Books of condolence have opened at University College Dublin, the Mansion House, in Dublin, Cork City Hall, Galway City Council's offices, Belfast City Council, as well as various locations in California.