The tragic circumstances of the death of two Irish children swept
away in flood waters following super-storm Sandy in New York, brought
out the best and the worst in human nature according to the parish
priest in their father’s hometown in Donegal.Fr Philip Daly from Portnoo parish said what “compounded the whole tragedy” was that there was “no support coming from the people in that area”, and when the children’s mother went to neighbours for help “they closed the doors in her face”.
After days of searching, the bodies of four-year-old Connor and two-year-old Brandan Moore were recovered on Thursday, and Fr Daly said that was a great relief to their parents Damien and Glenda in New York, and to their grandparents Paddy and Fay in Portnoo.
Fr Daly said the community in Portnoo has been rallying around the family.
“Since this whole tragedy unfolded here the presence of the neighbours and parishioners, calling into the house, calling on the phone, sending them Mass cards, was hugely supportive to Paddy and Fay.
“We got two extremes - we experience the good and the bad in the tragedy,” he said.