Community ‘dumbfounded’ after toddler’s death

The tight-knit community of Rindoon Park and Hazelwood in Athlone was last night coming to terms with the tragic drowning of two-year-old Liam Keogh.

The toddler drowned in a pool of water after following his dog onto an unfinished estate a few hundred metres from his home at Hazelwood on Thursday.

Floral tributes adorned the wire mesh fence Liam is understood to have passed through on his way to the Glenatore Development where he was found. “Sleep well Liam in the arms of angels,” one card reads.

Rindoon Park and Hazelwood are separated from the Glenatore development by the fence. Residents remain shocked over the incident.

One, Lucy Brennan, said she was not surprised that children played in the unfinished estate. “There’s nowhere for children to play, only out on the road with cars coming up and down,” she said. “Those houses should never have been built there, they should have made a play area instead.”

Another resident, Noel Benson, has often seen children playing in the development, more commonly during holiday periods. “It’s basically like that for three years,” he said. The residents committee had tried to have improvements carried out but “no one knows who owns it”, he said.

While people had had concerns about the development, the death came as a blow to the community, said Mr Benson. “I just spoke to a few people yesterday and everybody was dumbfounded, shocked. It’s a terrible tragedy, the poor little mite.”

Local Fine Gael TD Nicky McFadden, who visited the family yesterday said: “It’s not about blame, it’s horrendous, such a tragedy. My heart goes out to the family. It’s horrendous.”

While the development had been an issue for locals, Ms McFadden said no one had contacted her on the matter. “Nobody was in touch with me,” she said.

One woman who lives close to where Liam’s body was found said she had contacted the council. “I went into Westmeath County Council, it must be about three years like this,” she said. “Nobody has taken any responsibility for this. If you go into Westmeath County Council they say there is no money.”

Another Rindoon Park resident who often saw children in the development said: “I think myself it’s the little ones following the big ones. At one stage they were in there collecting for Halloween.”

Westmeath County Council and Athlone Town Council yesterday issued a joint statement.

“The local authorities sympathise deeply with the family of the late Liam Keogh, who died tragically yesterday. In response to queries, the council can confirm that this estate was identified as an unfinished development in accordance with criteria set out by the Department of Environment Community and Local Government.

“According to these criteria, this development is identified as category 3, being a development ‘where the developer is in place but there is no on-site activity and the developer is responsible for managing the site from a public safety perspective’.”

Athlone Town Council is currently processing a planning application to retain and complete the development.

Members of Liam’s family asked yesterday that their privacy be respected.