Gardaí describe death of Limerick toddler as a ‘family tragedy’

Gardai have described the death of a two-year Limerick boy as a "family tragedy".

A post mortem on Robert Kelly found the boy died from a viral infection, his grand uncle Anthony Kelly said.

“No one could have saved him. We are all devastated, it was a viral infection that either travelled to his heart or his brain. He showed no symptoms, no one could have done anything for him. If you get it as an adult you can seemingly fight it but it’s worse if you are a small child,” Mr Kelly said.

Gardaí confirmed the most likely cause of death according to the autopsy report was a “viral infection”.

“It’s a terrible tragedy for the family, that’s all I can say,” a Garda source said.

Little Robert was found unresponsive by his uncle Damien (20), when he went to wake him from an afternoon nap on Saturday.

The child’s father, Robert (21), has told how he “lost the best part” of his life.

“He was a good lad. He was perfect. This shouldn’t have happened.

Mr Kelly, a nephew of the late former Independent Limerick city councillor Michael Kelly, had left his child in the care of his brother Damien to go to an appointment at University Hospital Limerick.

He said his brother phoned him around 4.20pm to say Robert (2) would not wake up.

“I went to the hospital and they were happy out, watching telly and [Damien] was just minding the child as per usual. I got a phone call ... Straight away I freaked,” Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly – who was the sole carer for his son – described how he had come from a broken home and how he had promised little Robert he would never want for anything.

Robert Kelly lovingly described his son as the “only reason” he got out of bed in the morning.

“He was a rogue. He knew that if he wasn’t getting what he wanted he’d come over kissing you to rogue you around, to get biscuits up in the press or a packet of crisps.”

Mr Kelly said the boy would be “waked” from the Kelly home in O’Malley Park from between 4pm-8pm on Monday.