Father and son in drowning tragedy named

The father and son who died in a drowning tragedy in a gravel pit in Co Clare on Easter Monday were named yesterday as 41-year…

The father and son who died in a drowning tragedy in a gravel pit in Co Clare on Easter Monday were named yesterday as 41-year-old father of four Michael Cunningham and his 10-year-old son James.

Gardaí have launched an investigation into the accident.

"What has been reported so far has also been only speculation but it is a terrible tragedy for the family," said a Garda spokesman.

It is understood that Mr Cunningham and his son, from Clonlara, in east Clare, were feeding cattle prior to the tragedy.

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It is believed that James lost his footing on the edge of the small gravel pit before falling about 2.43 metres (eight feet) into the water below, and that his father jumped in to save him.

Both drowned in the pit, which is believed to as deep as 4.5 metres (15 feet) in places.

Postmortems were carried out yesterday at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.

The accident, which has stunned the local community, occurred shortly after 6pm on Monday at Aylroe, about three miles from the village of Labasheeda in the southwest of the county.

Mr Cunningham was employed as a metal fabricator at Iarnród Éireann's maintenance facility at Roxboro Road in Limerick city.

He worked at the depot, known locally as the "wagon works", since he began his apprenticeship there 20 years ago.

He lived in Corbally on the outskirts of the city for many years, and had recently moved with his wife and three other children to Clonlara in east Clare.

Mr Cunningham's colleagues were devastated when told the news.

Kilkee Search and Rescue coxswain Kieran Deloughery led the search and recovery operation.

The father and son were pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Deloughery said the quarry was only about 30 feet by 15 and had flooded in recent years because it had not been used.

"The water was about eight to 10 feet deep but we didn't know what to expect," he said.

"It was an unknown situation so we had to proceed with extreme care."

Mr Cunningham is survived by his wife Annette, and three other children, as well as his father Michael, mother Betty, brother Kevin, and his sister Mary.