Appeal for mother of dead baby to come forward

CLERGY and gardaí in West Limerick last night appealed to the mother of a newborn baby, whose body was discovered in a rubbish skip, to come forward and seek medical help.

The body of the full-term baby boy could have been in the skip for up to a week. It was discovered by a Polish worker at White’s skip hire yard near Broadford village yesterday morning.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy examined the body at the scene before it was removed for a post mortem at Limerick Regional Hospital.

The skip had been brought to Broadford on Wednesday night for unloading yesterday. It had been in Rathkeale for over a week and it was during that period gardaí believe the body was put there.

Fr Anthony Kelleher, of Broadford, said he was called to the scene by a member of the White family at around 10.30am yesterday. “I appeal to the mother to get all the necessary help available to her. When I got there, I gave the baby conditional Baptism as it appeared to be dead.”

Derry White, who runs the skip hire business, said:

“The material was being separated when the body became apparent. The Polish lad who was working there alerted us and we rang the gardaí and the priest. It is a very sad matter.”

The body had been placed in a bag, but had partially fallen out when put in the skip.

Chief Supt Willie Keane also appealed to the mother to come forward. “I would appeal to her to do so in the strictest confidence for her own welfare and avail of professional help,” he said.

Meanwhile, a three-year- old girl, who sustained serious head injuries in an incident at her home in Tralee on Wednesday, was still fighting for her life in Kerry General Hospital last night.

The Polish girl remains on a life-support machine.

In Dublin, gardaí were last night appealing for the family of a toddler, abandoned at a Dart station yesterday, to come forward.

Detectives at Pearse Street are seeking help in identifying the girl, aged 18-24 months, who was found in a buggy at Tara Street Dart station shortly before 4pm.

She has red curly hair and was wearing a blue denim dress and jacket and white socks with lace trim. Her buggy was a blue/grey Britax make.

Anyone with information should contact Pearse Street garda station on 01 - 666 9000.