There was widespread public sympathy in Galway yesterday following the deaths of a mother and her two daughters on Sunday when their car plunged off a pier in south Galway, writes Lorna Siggins.
The three were identified as Mrs Catherine Palmer (36) of Canal Road, Lower Salthill, Galway, and her daughters Jennifer (9) and Louisa (6). Mrs Palmer, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan, was the wife of Mr Roy Palmer, a scientist and fish pathologist at NUI Galway. It is understood she had not been well recently.
The Western Health Board has offered the services of its psychologists in the community services section to the pupils at Scoil Iognaid, where Jennifer and Louisa were enrolled. Jennifer was in third class and Louisa in senior infants. The school is on a midterm break this week.
Post-mortems were carried out on the bodies of all three at University College Hospital Galway yesterday and results are expected to be released today.