Teacher may have hit his head off side of pool

A FOOTBALLER who drowned in a swimming accident at the school where he taught may have hit his head off the side of the pool while diving in.

A postmortem examination was carried out yesterday on the body of John Locke O’Sullivan, 26, who was found floating in the swimming pool at Coláiste an Phairsaigh in Glanmire, Co Cork.

Mr O’Sullivan, who came from the village of Adrigole in West Cork, was due to play in the Cork County junior football final next Sunday. His devastated club have asked for the final to be postponed for two weeks.

He was found floating in the pool by a teaching colleague shortly before 7pm last Tuesday.

Mr O’Sullivan was rushed to the South Infirmary but pronounced dead a short time later. His body was transferred to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem.

“We are in shock and disbelief. The impact he made on both students and staff was tremendous. He was as hard and as co-operative a worker as you’d find,” said school principal Mr Ó Tuama said.

Mr O’Sullivan, who had taught PE and Geography at the Irish-speaking school for the past year, had been preparing to play in next Sunday’s county final against Kiskeam.

“Everybody was on a total high thinking about the final. Now it doesn’t really seem to matter. It’s a very dark day for us,” Adrigole GAA club secretary Marie Goggin said. “It’s like a death in the family to the football club.”

Hundreds of people are expected to attend Mr O’Sullivan’s removal, which will take place from the Cork University Hospital at 8.30pm tonight to St Fachtna’s Church, Adrigole. He will be buried following Requiem Mass at noon tomorrow in the adjoining cemetery.