The 12-year-old Monaghan boy ill with meningococcal meningitis was described as "ill, but stable" in hospital last night. His friend and neighbour, Kieran McGahon (15), who died from meningitis on Tuesday, was buried yesterday. Kieran McGahon complained of feeling ill on Monday night. He was hospitalised on Tuesday morning after collapsing at home. He died a number of hours later. Colm Maher (12), from Cortolvin Estate in Monaghan, was transferred to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin on Tuesday evening, after being admitted to Monaghan General Hospital on Monday evening.According to a spokeswoman for the North Eastern Health Board two other boys from the same estate who are being treated in Monaghan General Hospital for meningitis are in a comfortable condition. Many parents yesterday kept their children away from school in the area although a North Eastern Health Board consultant, who addressed a meeting in the town, said all precautions were being taken and non-attendance at school was not advised.Ms Siobhan Coulter-Lee, of the Meningitis Research Foundation, expressed sympathy to the parents of the dead boy.
Parents in the area would be feeling anxious, she said, but doctors, in their advice, had to strike a balance between "warning and reassurance". "It is rare to see this number of cases together, but cases of meningitis do seem to rise in the winter months. Parents should have to hand literature which tells them the symptoms to look out for. They should be vigilant. If anyone is unwell and their condition deteriorates, seek medical attention immediately."She said that anyone who was concerned could contact the foundation, which would forward information about the disease. Its telephone number is (01) 836 6347. A large crowd attended Kieran McGahon's funeral Mass, celebrated by Father James McPhillips at St Macartan's Cathedral in Monaghan.A lone guitarist left members of the congregation in tears when he played a final tribute to his friend. Ryan Sheridan sang I'll Never Forget You, a farewell to his 15-year-old companion. Hundreds of people joined the cortege from the dead youth's home, where his parents, Noel and Sadie McGahon, were joined behind the hearse by Kieran's sister, Sinead (13) and brother, Stephen (11).Students from Beech Hill College, where Kieran studied before taking up a career with the local bakery, also followed the hearse. Pupils from St Louis Convent - where Sinead is attending school - formed a guard-of-honour. Father McPhillips told the congregation the community was numbed by the tragic death and the outbreak. A week ago, he said, Kieran was full of life, with the world at his feet, but now they were at his funeral - it was something difficult to comprehend and impossible to explain. He called for prayers for the parents and family circle and for the full recovery of the other patients.