LOCAL REACTION:MASSGOERS FROM the small Co Wexford village of Clonroche heard yesterday that while the community was united "in sadness and sorrow" at the deaths of the Flood family, they were not without hope.
Fr Redmond told the congregation in St Clement's Catholic church in Cloughbawn that the deaths of Diarmuid Flood, his wife Lorraine and their two children Mark and Julie had given the community "heavy hearts and a great sense of sadness".
Fr Redmond pledged the support of the whole parish to the Floods and to Lorraine's family, the Kehoes, saying the deaths had left everybody "numb, helpless and lost".
But he said as a Christian community they were not without hope and the families could be assured of the support of the parish.
He also said he had been asked by the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Denis Brennan, to pray for the family and remember them in services.
Parishioners arriving and leaving at the church said little, avoiding television cameras and reporters.
Counselling services will be offered in Clonroche National School today, where Mark and Julie were pupils.
The principal of the 120-pupil school, Norma Doyle, described the young children as being "beautiful" and "bubbly" and said the local community was struggling to come to terms with the death of a young family.
Extending her sympathy to the families, Ms Doyle said: "Our priority now is to look after the wellbeing of all our students from the community . . . we will be implementing our critical incident plan and we will also have psychologists available to offer advice and support."
Ms Doyle also appealed for privacy for the students upon their return to school this morning and for the media to consider their "vulnerability" at a difficult time.
Wexford Co Council personnel and gardaí diverted traffic away from the family's home, a substantial two-storey building with creeper starting to spread across its front walls. Windows were broken and a blackened hole took up about half the roof. A sign at the side of the house advertised well drilling services and in a yard at the rear children's T-shirts with animated faces were drying beside a timber playhouse.
At a nearby store, a steady stream of locals arrived to collect their morning papers, most of which devoted their front page to the tragedy.
Some of the residents paused to read the coverage before looking across to the Garda cordon around the family home. As a satellite television van arrived, papers were folded and many people walked away.
Grocer Breda Larkin, whose shop is about 100 yards from the Flood family home on Main Street, said the gardaí had been a constant presence since she woke at about 7.30am on Saturday to news of the fire.
Yesterday, locals placed bunches of flowers at the foot of a pole just inside the Garda cordon.
One local woman, Kelly, said she knew the family and had been "very upset by what had happened". A woman with her said both had "been crying since yesterday morning".
Fr Redmond told The Irish Times he expected the Flood family funerals would be held in St Clements later this week.
Local politicians have also expressed their shock.
The Leas-Cheann Comhairle of the Dáil Brendan Howlin said he was deeply shocked and saddened.
"I think people will be absolutely awestruck and shocked, people will not know how to react," said the Wexford TD.
"Unfortunately we have had other terrible tragedies like this in this county, but there will be huge support across Co Wexford and beyond for the family," he said.
"All we can do is send our deepest sympathies and express our solidarity and support for the family concerned," he added.
Bishop of Ferns Dr Denis Brennan said he was "very mindful of the family and friends of those who have died, the local parish and diocesan communities and the many who share my deep sadness at this most unfortunate tragedy."
"Across the nation today thoughts and prayers are turning to Clonroche, to the parents and children who have died and the harrowing effects on those family members, neighbours and friends who have received this dreadful news," he said.