Irish teens die within days of each other on graduation trip to Greece

A pair of Irish teens described as “shining stars” died within days of each other on a graduation trip to Greece — with one collapsing after hearing about his friend’s alarming death.

Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, both 18, died over the weekend on the island of Ios, the BBC reported Wednesday.

The body of O’Donnell, who vanished Friday night, was found Sunday in a rocky area under a cliff, according to The Independent.

Wall, meanwhile, spent the last hours of his life printing posters for his missing friend, according to Mail Online.

The teen handed out leaflets around the town before hearing about O’Donnell’s death and then decided to go home to grieve.

But Wall suddenly collapsed at the Ios port while waiting for a ferry to begin the first leg of his journey, the BBC reported.

The youngsters were part of a group of about 90 students from St Michael’s College in Dublin that traveled to the Greek islands to celebrate the end of their final exams.

Many of the boys’ classmates lined up in an informal honor guard when the bodies of the doomed teens were taken by hearse to the Ios port, where a ferry carried them to Athens for post-mortem examinations, the Independent reported.

The results will determine the course of the investigations by Greek authorities.

O’Donnell’s body exhibited injuries from a fall, while officials believe Wall’s death may be linked to a pre-existing health condition that had required heart surgery years ago.

Two officers from Ireland’s An Garda Sióchána also traveled to Greece to assist with the probe, the BBC said.

“We are heartbroken. We have a very tight-knit community and these are two fantastic young men with their lives ahead of them,” St. Michael’s principal Tim Kelleher told RTÉ.

A memorial at the school is being organized, he added.

“These two lads were shining stars – academically, sporting, loads of friends. Andrew was a really good soccer player and Max a great rugby player. They were disciplined about their sport and themselves. It’s just so tragic,” Kelleher told the Independent.

Ireland’s team wore black armbands in the boys’ honor at their game against Fiji in the World Rugby U20 Championship earlier this week, the BBC reported.

Six of the team’s players were St. Michael’s graduates and knew the two boys. The team is also mourning the death of a player’s father.

All three losses were marked with a moment of silence before the match.