ARCHBISHOP of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said his heart goes out to the families of the two young Polish men brutally killed with a screwdriver, as they returned home to Poland to grieve. Relatives of the second man to lose his battle for life following the screwdriver attack, Pawel Kalite (26), were last night expected back in their home town in Poland.
The family of engineer Mariusz Szwajkos (27) had already returned to the town of Szcucin in southern Poland to wait for his body to be repatriated for burial.
Yesterday, Dr Martin spoke out about the recurring violence on the streets, urging communities to work together.
"It is an extraordinary sad story of two young men coming here to do well and everybody says they contributed greatly through their work," he said.
"Those who perpetrated this violence, their lives are also shattered in a certain sense. We really have to build our communities to resist this type of violence, it damages everybody.
"But these two Polish workers -- my heart goes out to their families as well."
Ruined
Dr Martin said: "So many young lives are being ruined by this culture of drink, and we have to address that."
Following a brief visit to Poland, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern appealed to anyone who witnessed the attacks to come forward and aid Gardaí.
He denounced the murders as an appalling crime.
Dozens of phone calls expressing sadness and disgust at the deaths were received at the Polish Embassy in Dublin, where consular staff were working to aid the families in repatriating the bodies.
People have generously donated to a fund set up to help the families in their funeral expenses, Alan Kennedy, general manager of the Ace Autobody shop on Dublin's Long Mile Road, said.
For the past year, the two friends had worked in the painting section of the workshop.
On Saturday, Mr Szwajkos had been working in the 'The Body Shop' just hours before they were attacked in the south Dublin suburb of Drimnagh.
"We will be able to defray any expense that families have incurred," he said.
"It is the only thing we can do for them, we can't do anything about the hurt."
The bodies are expected to be buried in their home town in the coming days.
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