The bodies of a family of four killed in a suspected arson attack on their home in Ireland have arrived at a church ahead of their funeral, as two other children remain fighting for their lives in hospital.
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children → kill → hospital
Philip and Kim English and their two sons, Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died when their house in Waterford was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Their devastated relatives and friends are now preparing to say their final goodbyes at a joint funeral at the Sacred Heart Church in Waterford on Monday afternoon.
Four separate hearses carrying the victims' bodies arrived at the church on Sunday, with bells ringing out as their coffins were removed.
In heartbreaking scenes, players from Johnville Football Club, where 12-year-old Callum played, formed a guard of honour on the church steps.
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Callum → die → steps
The four wooden coffins, two of which were white, were lined up side by side before being carried into the parish centre.
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two → line → centre
One of the coffins was draped in the Irish tricolour.
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One → drape → tricolour
The family members will lie in repose for three hours on Sunday afternoon before their funeral Mass at 1pm on Monday.
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members → lie → Monday
They will then be laid to rest together at Kilbarry Cemetery.
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They → lay → Cemetery
The tragedy has left the city of Waterford in mourning, with hundreds of residents gathering for vigils and laying flowers outside the family's burnt-out home in the Birchwood estate.
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hundreds → leave → estate
The bodies of a family of four killed in a suspected arson attack on their home in Ireland have arrived at a church ahead of their funeral
Philip and Kim English (above) and their two sons, Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died when their house in Waterford was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Tuesday morning
Jayden, nine, who was born with a heart condition, had undergone heart surgery just two weeks before he was killed in the fire
Meanwhile, two other children who survived the devastating blaze, a 14-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, remain seriously ill at Children's Health Ireland in Crumlin, Dublin.
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who → kill → Crumlin
Their aunt, Jackie English, revealed that the teenage girl was beginning to show signs of improvement, although her younger brother remained in a critical condition.
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brother → reveal → condition
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Philip's sister said: 'All I know is that [he] is still critical, and [she] is just more or less slowly making progress, but we still don't know.'
Describing the attack on her family as an 'absolute disgrace', she said she had been left 'distraught' by the loss of her brother, sister-in-law and two nephews.
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she → speak → law
I'm lost for words right now.'
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I → lose → words
Ms English, who lives just around the corner from her late brother's home, recalled the terrifying moment neighbours came rushing to her door to tell her the house was on fire.
'
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house → live → fire
I just got my door nearly kicked down asking me to go up, [being told] my brother's house was on fire by [Philip and] Kim's neighbours.'
The deadly blaze broke out shortly after 5am on Tuesday when an incendiary device was used to set fire to the family's home.
Investigators believe the attack may have been linked to a campaign of intimidation involving a drugs gang, although the family themselves were not believed to be involved in criminal activity.
uncertain
family → get → activity
Two people have since appeared in court in connection with the attack.
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people → appear → attack
Cian Stacey, 21, and Jessica Dalton, 31, appeared at a special sitting of Clonmel District Court on Saturday.
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Stacey → appear → Saturday
Their devastated relatives and friends are now preparing to say their final goodbyes at a joint funeral at the Sacred Heart Church in Waterford on Monday afternoon
Ms
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relatives → prepare → afternoon
Companjen described her nephew Callum as ‘such a bright boy who lived so care free’
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who → describe → boy
Four separate hearses carrying the victims' bodies arrived at the church on Sunday, with bells ringing out as their coffins were removed
Both were charged with one count of criminal damage and two counts of assault causing serious harm.
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Both → carry → harm
They were remanded in custody and are due to appear before Waterford District Court on Tuesday.
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They → remand → Tuesday
Uniformed gardaí have also been maintaining a presence at the hospital where the two surviving children are being treated.
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children → maintain → hospital
A senior source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: 'They are just erring on the side of caution.
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They → tell → caution
There's no way anyone is going to go near the hospital to do anything to the kids.
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anyone → be → kids
The source added that the children 'obviously haven't been interviewed yet, so their first account will be really important'.
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account → add → ?
'Gardaí will have to make sure that hasn't been interfered with in any way.'
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that → have → way
As the family prepares for Monday's funeral, heartbreaking tributes have continued to pour in for the four victims.
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tributes → prepare → victims
Kim's younger sister, Charlene Companjen, described her as the 'light of my life' in an emotional social media post.
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sister → describe → post
'I have never met anyone as beautiful and resilient as you,' she wrote.
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she → meet → you
'You cared so much about everyone around and I truly admire you for that.
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I → care → that
You broke the cycle and became the best mother I have ever seen.
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I → break → cycle
I'm grateful I called you the night before [you] were taken away from me.'
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you → call → me
Ms Companjen revealed that the last words she had spoken to her sister were: 'I love you.'
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I → reveal → you
She also paid tribute to her two young nephews, describing Callum as 'such a bright boy who lived so care free'.
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who → pay → boy
Remembering nine-year-old Jayden, she wrote that he was 'always up to trouble.
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he → remember → trouble
I will miss hearing you call me your favourite aunty.
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you → miss → me
Every time I came to visit we were inseparable.
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we → come → ?
We'd play together or simply just have a cuddle and watch Paw Patrol.
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We → play → Patrol
I'd give anything to hold you one more time.'
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I → give → you
The four wooden coffins, two of which were white, were lined up side by side before being carried into the parish centre.
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two → line → centre
One of the coffins was draped in the Irish tricolour
In heartbreaking scenes, players from Johnville Football Club, where 12-year-old Callum played, formed a guard of honour on the church steps
Hundreds of mourners previously gathered at the Sacred Heart Church for a candlelit vigil in memory of the family, while balloons were released in their honour
She described her brother-in-law Philip as 'an amazing father' and said she 'loved [him] instantly' when he was first introduced to Kim's family.
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he → drape → family
Jayden, who was born with a heart condition, had undergone heart surgery just two weeks before he was killed in the fire.
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he → bear → fire
…and 16 more, not listed.