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Irish athlete Mark English. Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Mark English pays emotional tribute to UCD classmates who died in Berkeley tragedy

English was in college with Lorcan Miller and Eimear Walsh.

IRISH ATHLETE MARK English has paid tribute to two of his classmates who passed away in the Berkeley balcony tragedy and revealed how he was affected by the ‘devastating news’.

English, who won a bronze medal in last year’s European Athletics Championships and a silver in this year’s European Indoors,  was in college in UCD with Lorcan Miller and Eimear Walsh.

A Sky Academy Scholar, English wrote on the Sky Sports website about an emotional few months.

“June 15 will live for a long time in my memory. I was involved in a day of filming with Sky Sports in Dublin.

“The whole operation was precision personified.  Everything was timed so that the crew had their job completed in time for their flight home to the UK that evening.

Devastating

“But there was little time to absorb the devastating news I received during filming that day of the death of two of my medical school classmates in the balcony accident in Berkeley, California.

“The accident claimed the lives of six students and leaving another seven in a critical condition. The magnitude of this tragedy caused me to stop in my tracks and think.

“Were it not for my athletics I may well have been out there myself on a J1 Visa. Less than a year ago I had shared a class holiday with Lorcan Miller (RIP) and Eimear Walsh (RIP) in Croatia.

23/6/2015 The Funeral Mass for Eimear Walsh takes Eimear Walsh was one of the victims of the Berkeley tragedy. Photocall Ireland Photocall Ireland

They were two of the brightest, affable and most vivacious people I had ever met.

“Events like this put injuries and poor performances into perspective. I returned from the European team championships on June 23 just in time to attend the funerals of both classmates.

My own worries paled into insignificance.

“Athletics is not life and death. In September our class will be missing two vibrant young people who never got a chance to fulfil their potential.”

The Funeral of Lorcan Miller will take place today Lorcan Miller passed away in Berkeley in June Photocall Ireland Photocall Ireland

“In the light of all that has happened so far this summer I realise that it is important to live life to the full.

“To see that glass half full rather than half empty. There is still half the summer left. There is still time to improve on my form and set my injury straight.

“I will try to embrace the advice of the writer Samuel Beckett…..

“Ever tried.  Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Berkeley parents: J1 students are ‘genuine heroes who responded tenderly to the needs of our children’

Tag-rugby fundraiser raises over €16k for Berkeley survivor

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    Mute Chonky Racoon
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    Jun 14th 2019, 12:23 PM

    Don’t go there kid.. Go somewhere where you’ll be appreciated and where you’ll only get better

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    Mute Warren Mcdermott
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    Jun 14th 2019, 12:58 PM

    @Chonky Racoon: spot on I know it’s hard to say no to these huge clubs but better for your future if you went to a smaller club and got plenty of game time clubs like Dortmund or Lyon who have history of bringing players throught

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    Mute Scott Mcsauce bby
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    Jun 14th 2019, 12:16 PM

    There not holding back anyway

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    Mute Frainc Ó Broin
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    Jun 14th 2019, 4:08 PM

    Every country has a Messi these days. Wessi was our Messi!

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Jun 14th 2019, 1:24 PM

    Is he the first Japanese man to sign for them, first Asian perhaps? Can’t think of anyone else off hand. Lá liga will be delighted either way!

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    Mute Limón Madrugada
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    Jun 14th 2019, 6:19 PM

    @Hardly Normal: he’s signed for Castilla , it’s Real Madrid’s B team .. it’s a strategic move for Madrid , the player himself may not thrive though. A guy like Odegaard is making a name for himself in Holland but it’s unlikely he’ll ever triumph in Real Madrid . It’s surprising that he didn’t go back to Barca tbh .

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    Mute Philip Farrell
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    Jun 14th 2019, 7:42 PM

    @Hardly Normal: As Mr. Madrugada points out, Kubo is signing for Castilla, not Real Madrid (a tehnicality). But Real Madrid (including Castilla and Real Madrid C) have had at least two Asian players before. There was some fanfare a few years back when they signed Chinese Lin Liangming. There was also a Jordanian (Tha’er Bawab) who played for both Real and Barce’s B-Teams back in the early 00s.

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    Mute Andrew Tuite
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    Jun 14th 2019, 8:14 PM

    @Limón Madrugada: do you think Odegaard will ever make it with Madrid or will just be sold on ??

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Jun 14th 2019, 9:55 PM

    @Philip Farrell: you hardly rattled that off the top of your head, if you did fair play. So no asain player has played for Real Madrid proper? I’d put money on it this lad will get an opportunity if he shows any bit of promise. The asain market is untapped from a Spanish point of view, interesting move.

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    Mute Limón Madrugada
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    Jun 15th 2019, 11:21 AM

    @Andrew Tuite: sold on I reckon , he’s done well in Holland and Ajax are looking at him . He’d be useful as part of the deal for de Ligt !! But he needs to make a proper breakthrough for Madrid to see him as first team material.

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    Mute tubbsyf
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    Jun 14th 2019, 3:28 PM

    Great news for la liga

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