Mother and daughter drowned after Cork crash, inquest told

A mother and daughter drowned after their car ended up in a flooded dyke following a two car collision near their home in Co Cork just days before Christmas, an inquest has heard.

Geraldine Clancy (58) and her daughter, Louise (22) from Leitrim, Kilworth, Co Cork died after the incident on the Fermoy to Ballyduff Road at around 11.30am on December 22nd last.

Insp Joe O'Connor told the inquest into their deaths that gardaí have sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the matter and are awaiting directions on whether charges are to be brought.

Louise, who had just returned home for Christmas from the University of Sussex at Falmer near Brighton, and her mother were on their way into Fermoy when the crash occurred.

The inquest heard evidence from a number of statements including that Dr Jason Van der Velde pronounced Ms Clancy and her daughter dead at 12.20pm after their upturned car was removed from the flooded dyke.

Postmortems

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest she carried out postmortems on both women at Cork University Hospital on December 23rd and both Ms Clancy and her daughter died from acute cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning.

Insp O'Connor said that as a result of criminal proceedings being considered by the DPP, he was applying for an adjournment under Section 25.1 of the Coroner's Act and Coroner Dr Michael Kennedy granted the application, adjourning the inquest to allow for the completion of any criminal proceedings.

Dr Kennedy then extended his sympathies to Ms Clancy’s husband Noel, who was one of the first people on the scene after the crash, and her son Declan on their loss of their loved ones. He said death certificates would be issued shortly in repect of both women.

“I would like to express my sincere and deep condolences to you on your loss - it’s a terrible tragedy to happen any family to lose two members on the one day,” said Dr Kennedy before Insp O’ Connor also expressed his sympathies to the Clancy family on their loss.