An inquest has found that the late Fine Gael TD and Minister, Mr Hugh Coveney, died from drowning and not from any injury as the result of a fall from a great height, during a walk along a cliff face at Robert's Cove in Cork Harbour on March 14th. At the conclusion of evidence, given at Kinsale Town Hall, Mr Patrick Coveney (27), the eldest of the seven Coveney children, said the family had come through a difficult time and were still in shock at the loss of someone so well loved. The verdict would help to lessen the family's hurt "and allow us to piece our lives back together".
He expressed gratitude on behalf of the family to the rescue services and particularly to the Naval Diving Unit at Haulbowline.
There had been thousands of telephone calls and letters from sympathisers. Many people had asked if the family members who had been on a round-the-world voyage for charity when they heard about the accident would resume their journey. That decision would be made next week.
During a medical examination of the politician's body after it has been recovered from the sea the following day, a strapless watch was found in his pocket. Mr Philip Stokes, a watchmaker, told the coroner, Mr Frank O'Connell, that the watch was not waterproof and it would have stopped almost immediately upon contact with water. When recovered, it showed a time of 11.50 a.m.
In a deposition read to the inquest, Mrs Pauline Coveney said her husband was in good spirits on the morning he set out for a walk with his three dogs. He was anticipating a full week off and they had planned to dine with friends on the Saturday evening. By 7 p.m., when he had not returned, she drove to Robert's Cove and found his blue Mercedes car. It was locked and two of the larger family dogs were lying beside it. She walked with the two dogs along the cliff top on land owned by the family and the dogs started barking for the third and smaller dog, Sasha, a terrier.
She returned home with the dogs and telephoned Pat and Colette Dineen with whom they were to have dined, to say that her hus band had not returned. She re turned to Robert's Cove with the Dineens and by then the emergency services had started to arrive.
Mr Liam Coughlan, a longstan ding friend of Mr Coveney who regularly walked with him along the cliffs on Sunday mornings, said in a sworn statement read to the inquest that Mr Dineen telephoned him on Saturday March 14th, to say Mr Coveney was missing. He went to Robert's Cove to assist in the search and to point out the exact walking route used by himself and Mr Coveney.
Earlier in the year, he had slipped and fallen on the path and suffered a cut to his head. By then, night had fallen but there was good moonlight. Below the cliff face, he could see the terrier in an excited and agitated state.
Together with other members of the rescue team, he negotiated the cliff and when he reached the rocks below, he calmed the dog. The inquest heard from Lieut John Leech of the Naval Diving Unit at Haulbowline that when his team of divers was assembled the following morning, he noted the point at which Mr Coveney's dog was found.
A systematic search was begun, using a grid system to ensure that no area of water was left uncovered. At 11.49 a.m. he came across Mr Coveney's body in 12 metres of water, some 30 metres away from where the dog had been sighted. The body was lying between two underwater boulders. There was a small wound above the right eye. The shoreline area was particularly hazardous, he added.
Sgt Con Cadigan of Bandon, who was part of the search effort, said he saw Mr Coveney's body being taken out of the water and placed on board the LE Emer. It was brought to Haulbowline Naval Base where there was a cursory medical examination. He immediately recognised the body.
There was evidence of blood from a gash over the right eye. There was also some predator damage to the ears and lips. He noticed the soles of Mr Coveney's shoes were "pretty bare". In his opinion to walk in such a potentially dangerous area would require shoes with a good grip.
The assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, said she carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Coveney's body on Sunday March 15th at the Cork University Hospital.
The only wound was a laceration above the right eye and there was bruising to the white of the eye but no swelling. This suggested the wound was caused shortly before Mr Coveney died. The injury would be enough to cause blurred vision and confusion but it did not equate with a fall from a great height. Rather, it appeared that Mr Coveney had slipped on the rocks nearer the water's edge.
Mr Coveney's lungs were five times their normal weight. She concluded that Mr Coveney had died from drowning. Having retired, the jury returned a verdict of death in accordance with the medical evidence.