Bishop Cullinan and Fr Chestnutt lead vigil after Waterford firebombings

Father Gerry Chestnutt called on anyone responsible for the firebomb attack on the English family’s home in Waterford to come forward and face the consequences.

The vigil, held in a modern church, was concelebrated by Fr Chestnutt and Waterford and Lismore Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan. About 400 people gathered in a circular formation around the priests, listening to prayers for the four victims – Philip, Kim, Callum and Jayden English – and for the two surviving children, Nadia, 14, and Elliot, 6, who remain in intensive care in Dublin.

Fr Chestnutt described the family as “an innocent family preparing for a new day” and urged anyone with information to contact the gardaí. Bishop Cullinan echoed the appeal, noting the community’s grief and the unanswered questions surrounding the tragedy.

During the service, candles were lit for each of the deceased, and local singer Sarah Jane Lavery performed traditional and contemporary hymns, including Liam Lawton’s “The Cloud’s Veil”. Earlier, around 200 people released blue and pink balloons at the Birchwood Estate, the site of the burnt-out house.

Family members, including Philip’s ex‑wife Ann English and godfather James English, expressed profound loss and called for the perpetrators to “own up”. Tributes continued to flow on social media, with Philip’s sister Jackie describing herself as “heartbroken”.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Dang Dao / Pexels.