Funeral for abandoned baby put on hold

FUNERAL arrangements for the abandoned baby found dead in north County Dublin have been put on hold while further attempts are made to locate his mother.

Gardaí are viewing video footage from security cameras attached to business premises at the Newtown Industrial Estate in Coolock where the baby boy was left in waste, later removed for dumping near Swords.

They also have hours of tapes showing the comings and goings of people around the area recorded by cameras erected by Dublin City Council as an anti-crime measure in the nearby housing estates of Darndale and adjacent areas.

The infant's body remains at the City Morgue and tests are continuing in an attempt to determine the cause of his death after preliminary post-mortem results proved inconclusive.

He was described as a big child who was born fullterm to Caucasian parents and was between two days and a week old when he died.

He bore no visible signs of injury and it is thought his body could have lain in the waste heap for up to six days.

Gardaí have visited the homes of a number of women from the locality who were expecting babies around this time to eliminate them from their inquiries but say there is no guarantee the woman they are looking for lives in the area.

"We have a good relationship with the community here so if it is somebody local we would be confident of making contact with them.

"But anyone from any part of the city could have had access to the site where the baby was left," said Superintendent Noel McLoughlin of Coolock who is leading the investigation.

Supt McLoughlin repeated his appeal to the mother or her friends or relatives to contact the station where he said they would be treated with compassion and sensitivity. "Somebody out there a friend or workmate or somebody else close to the mother knows who she is and they must also know that she may need medical help and other professional support."

Meanwhile, in Donegal yesterday there was a large turnout for the funeral of seven-year-old Rona Young whose mysterious death remains under garda investigation.

The youngster, who was from Letterkenny, was mourned by her parents Ann and Gilbert, her seven brothers and sisters and many relations, friends and classmates from Ballyraine National School where she was a first class pupil.

Rona died at Letterkenny Hospital last Wednesday after being admitted with unexplained symptoms a day earlier.

A forensic examination was carried out at the family home and results of tests carried out there and during a post-mortem examination are expected later this week.