The family of a child who died at a public swimming pool have called for a full public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death following an inquest which revealed the 11-year-old girl had drowned in the pool.
The inquest was told by the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem that death was from asphyxia due to freshwater drowning at Tuam swimming pool. Dr Gabriel Mortimer said there was no evidence of skull fracture, brain injury, neck injury, heart attack or asthmatic attack and no evidence of old or recent injury.
Philomena O'Reilly (11), Park more Estate, Tuam, who had just started her final year at the local Mercy convent primary school, was able to swim. Two lifeguards who were on duty at the pool on August 8th, when the incident occurred, had tried to resuscitate her.
The verdict of death by asphyxia due to freshwater drowning was returned by the coroner for north Galway, Dr Val Costello. Mr Ned and Mrs Bridget O'Reilly called for a full public inquiry into their daughter's death so the reasons why a girl could drown in a busy public swimming pool might be established. They say nobody from the management committee of the swimming pool came to them to explain what had happened to their daughter.
Tuam swimming pool is run by a management committee on behalf of Galway County Council. This was the first drowning at the pool in its 27-year history.