Berkeley balcony collapse victims' bodies brought back to Ireland

Hearses leave airport — Hearses carrying two of the bodies leave Dublin Airport

The bodies of four of the six students who died in a balcony collapse in Berkeley, California, have been flown back to Ireland.

Relatives of the students accompanied them on the flight to Dublin Airport.

On Saturday, a joint funeral mass was held in Sonoma, California, for cousins Olivia Burke, 21, from Dublin, and Irish-US citizen Ashley Donohoe, 22.

Four of the families issued a statement thanking everyone, in Ireland and the US, for their sympathy and support.

The families of Eoghan Culligan, Lorcán Miller, Niccolai Schuster and Eimear Walsh boarded a Dublin-bound Aer Lingus flight on Saturday night to bring their children's remains home.

"As we leave Berkeley and return home to Ireland with our beloved sons and daughters, Eimear, Eoghan, Lorcan and Niccolai, we would like to thank everyone in America and Ireland for their sympathy and support, which has been a tremendous comfort to us at this tragic time," the families said.

null — The victims: Top row, from left: Ashley Donohoe, Eimear Walsh, Olivia Burke. Bottom row, from left: Eoghan Culligan, Lorcan Miller and Niccolai Schuster

"Particularly we thank the local authorities, emergency services, medical staff, parishes and communities of Berkeley.

"In addition we are forever grateful to the Irish Consul, Philip Grant, and his local team, and also the amazing service and support received from Aer Lingus, the Department of Foreign Affairs, US Ambassador Anne Anderson, and a special appreciation to Minister [Jimmy] Deenihan.

"We cannot thank enough the students that were in the apartment and apartment complex that night.

"The manner and speed at which they reached out to our families, to our Consul, and to each other was faultless. Our children were extraordinarily blessed in their friends and we are enormously proud of them."

Olivia Burke's family will return to Ireland with her remains on Monday.

After Saturday's joint funeral, their families issued a statement through a friend.

"We will fight to make changes so that no family will ever have to go through what we have gone through in the last five days," they said.

"Our daughters and the rest of these students were responsible young adults that were celebrating their friend's 21st birthday in what they felt was a safe environment.

"Unfortunately that turned tragic through no fault of their own."

Mourners at the funeral heard how the two cousins were kind, fun-loving young women who shared a close bond.

Monsignor Daniel Whelton said that growing up, Olivia and Ashley would dress alike to try to fool their parents into thinking they were twins.

The apartment balcony collapsed during a 21st birthday party in the early hours of Tuesday in the city of Berkeley.