The tragic death of a young woman who died when the parapet of a building fell on her as she strolled with friends along a city street has been recalled at an inquest in Cork.
Ms Aoife Ball (20), of Woodside, Kerrypike, Cork, her sister, Eilis, and friends, Mr David Minihane, Mr Niall McGroarty and Mr Brian O'Keeffe, all from Cork, were walking together at Washington Street, Cork, on December 30th last when the accident occurred.
The inquest, before the Cork City Coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, heard yesterday that Ms Eilis Ball and Mr Mc Groarty looked up when they heard a noise and tried to dive for cover when they saw a large object topple from a high building. Ms Aoife Ball was walking ahead of them.
Mr David Minihane said that as they were walking Ms Ball turned and asked him the time. He remembered hearing a bang and being knocked to the ground. He saw Ms Ball covered in rubble. Mr Minihane was also partially covered by a large piece of rubble. He noticed a strong smell of gas afterwards, although there was no smell of gas before the rubble fell.
Ms Eilis Ball said that as they were walking and chatting, she and her boyfriend, Mr Minihane, heard a loud noise and looked up. A large object was falling towards them and Mr Minihane pushed her into a doorway. It happened very quickly, and afterwards, when she looked around, Mr Minihane and her sister were on the ground.
"I went to where Aoife was. I kept saying she's dead. Her mouth was open. I telephoned Niall's mother on the mobile to say there had been a terrible accident. When we looked up, just before Niall pushed me, what we saw falling was black or dark like a shop canopy," she added.
Garda Insp Peter Callanan told the inquest that in the subsequent investigation nothing of a criminal nature had come to light. The possibility of a gas explosion had also been ruled out as had weather conditions or the quality of the stones and mortar used in the parapet of the building.
A photograph of 33 and 34 Washington street taken before the accident showed the parapet on the adjoining buildings was slightly protruding, he added.
Dr Margaret Bolster, assistant State Pathologist, who carried out a post-mortem, said Ms Ball had suffered severe fractures to her head and neck as well as multiple injuries to all four limbs. Her ribs were fractured as was her breastbone. The injuries were consistent with a major blunt impact to the left side of the body.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.