There were poignant scenes in north Cork last night as hundreds of mourners gathered to pay respect to three members of a local family who died in a drowning tragedy in the area over the bank holiday weekend.
Mourners began gathering in Charleville shortly after 7pm to await the arrival of the bodies of Ita Noonan (49), her son David (24) and daughter Emma (20), who lost their lives in a drowning accident in the Awbeg river at Castletownroche. Heading up the mourners was Ms Noonan's husband, David, comforted by relatives and friends.
Leading the prayers last night at Hawe's funeral home in Charleville was Fr Muiris O'Connor, parish priest of Mr Noonan's home town of Kilfinane, Co Limerick, where David and Emma will be buried following Requiem Mass today.
Fr O'Connor said he had spoken to the extended Noonan family over the past few days and they were understandably still in shock.
"It is almost impossible for anyone to imagine the anguish and pain that they are going through at the moment. To lose three members in such a sudden and unexpected manner is very hard to come to terms with - I have no doubt that it will galvanise the community and people will turn out in great numbers to pay their respects and support the Noonan family."
David and Emma will be buried in the local cemetery following the Requiem Mass at St Andrew's Church in Kilfinane, while Ms Noonan will be brought to Newlands Cross crematorium in Dublin for cremation tomorrow.
Ms Noonan had worked for the past eight years at the Cork North Garda divisional headquarters in Fermoy. Six gardaí carried her coffin to the waiting hearse, while family members shouldered the coffins of David and Emma from the funeral home.
More than 30 uniformed officers, with 20 detectives and retired gardaí under the command of Supt Flor Horan of Fermoy, formed a guard of honour beside the three waiting hearses.