A Cork youth died yesterday when he fell from a pier into the water at Kinsale Harbour and drowned.
Niall Waldron (16), of Haven Hill, Kinsale, was one of a group of youths who were walking home from a class graduation when the accident happened early yesterday morning.
A transition-year pupil at Kinsale Community School, Niall had attended his class graduation, and was walking home with friends when he hopped onto a wall at the lower road leading into Kinsale.
He slipped from the bank and fell some distance before hitting the water.
His friends alerted the gardaí and emergency services and the Courtmacsherry lifeboat was launched immediately.
When they recovered the boy they were unable to resuscitate him.
His body was taken to Cork University Hospital where a post-mortem was due to be carried out last night.
There were scenes of grief at the boy's school yesterday as news of the tragedy unfolded.
A special Mass was held at the school in the afternoon in memory of the student, who principal Sister Mary Donovan said contributed much to school life.
According Mr Alan Coleman, who is a local councillor, the tragedy had a double impact, as it reawakened memories caused by the death of four Kinsale youths in a traffic accident 20 months ago.
Twin brothers Gavin and Cian O'Sullivan (15), and their friends Conor Coleman (15) and Paul Donoval (23), died in a crash on the Cork-Bandon road in September 2001.
"Everybody is stunned by what has happened, but in particular the kids at the school have had a tough time of it, and they are absolutely shattered by today's tragedy.
"This is the second time that they've lost some of their friends," said Mr Coleman.
A counselling service is to be set up at Kinsale Community School to help students with their grief at yesterday's tragedy.
Friends and relatives comforted the youth's mother, Sheila, and younger sister yesterday, as they waited for his father, Jerry, who was working at sea, to return home.