A coroner has apologised to the family of a young woman who died two years ago for the delay in holding an inquest into her death.
Breda Brosnan (18), Faha, Killarney, Co Kerry, died in a road crash at Gortahoosh, on the main Cork-Killarney road on June 26th, 2004.
She had just finished her Leaving Certificate and had started a summer job at a cafe in Killarney, her mother Sheila Brosnan wrote in her deposition to the inquest yesterday.
She took her daughter to the railway station where she was getting a lift to Glenflesk from Damien McCarthy from Gortacuish, and saw her daughter get into the car.
Ms Brosnan yesterday thanked the emergency services and the priest who attended the scene of her daughter's death.
Garda Supt Michael Maher read the sworn deposition of Peer Gribben, Newry, Co Down. Mr Gribben said he was driving in his Volkswagen Passat towards Killarney on the main Cork-Killarney road.
His girlfriend Louise McConville was in the passenger seat when "suddenly and without warning", about five miles from Killarney, a silver Nissan Sunny pulled across to their side of the road.
"I did not have time to brake and could not avoid the collision," Mr Gribben said.
He struck the passenger side of the car which had come on to his side of the road. He was doing 96 km/h, "no more".
He and his girlfriend were injured, the inquest heard.
Garda Brendan Cronin gave evidence of attending the scene. The driver of the Nissan, Mr McCarthy, had suffered a head injury. Ms Brosnan was still in the car and was being cut free by the fire brigade.
Emergency medical personnel could not find a pulse. A doctor arrived and pronounced her dead.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster carried out a post-mortem. Ms Brosnan died from trauma and her death was instantaneous .
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death in accordance with Dr Bolster's findings.
Coroner Terence Casey told Ms Brosnan's family that he wished to apologise for the length of time it took to hold the inquest.
This was due to criminal proceedings.
In future he hoped to shorten the time it took to make a death certificate available to the family, Mr Casey said.