Enagh Lough Tragedy: St Columb’s College pays tribute to ‘exemplary young men’ with ‘warm and friendly’ smiles

Both 16-year-olds were incoming Year 13 pupils at the school and had recently completed their GCSEs.

Pupils and staff at the college have been left devastated by the loss of the teenagers in the tragedy at Enagh Lough on Monday.

In a tribute, Principal Finbar Madden said the teenagers always had a smile for all.

“Joseph and Reuven were exemplary young men who epitomised in every sense what it means to be a college boy. Both boys were mature beyond their years and had excelled in their recent GCSE examinations. They were very close friends who had been in the same form class since they joined us in 2017. Whenever you met Joseph or Reuven you were met with a warm and friendly smile. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to learn that they had a large circle of friends and were deeply respected by their peers and those members of staff who were fortunate to have taught them.”

On Monday, the College said supports will be made available for students and staff to help them through their devastating loss.

““This will be a very difficult time for the whole St Columb’s College family and in the coming days it will be important that our pupils are with people they know and trust. In conjunction with the Education Authority’s Critical Incident Response Team, we will provide every possible support for our boys and for our staff. In the meantime, if any parent/guardian/carer has any concerns regarding their son, I would ask them to contact us immediately.”