Emotional scenes as drownings confirmed at inquest

An inquest has found a West Cork farmer and his daughter both died from drowning after he entered the sea with her, with the verdict delivered yesterday amid highly charged scenes in Bantry.

Coroner Frank O’Connell said in his verdict that, on the evening of March 5 last year, at Foilnamuck, Audley Cove, near Ballydehob, 3-year-old Clarissa McCarthy died from acute cardio-respiratory failure as a result of drowning, having been taken into the water just yards from the family home by her father, Martin McCarthy, aged 50.

Mr O’Connell said that Martin McCarthy’s death, also from acute cardio-respiratory failure from drowning, had been “self-caused”. Earlier, state pathologist Margaret Anne Bolster told the inquest that Mr McCarthy’s death would have been “accelerated” by the fact that he had severe coronary artery disease.

However, the coroner’s verdict was reached only after some of those present — including the best man at the couple’s wedding, Alan Hurley — had taken issue with suggestions that Mr McCarthy may have first “restrained” his daughter under the water.

Mr Hurley and his brother, Daniel, found the suicide note written by Mr McCarthy that had been left in the milking parlour, but stressed they believed Mr McCarthy would not have entered the water with his daughter.

Mr Hurley said he knew Martin better than anyone and said: “I know for a fact that Martin McCarthy would harm no-one.”

Amid emotionally charged scenes, Clarissa’s mother, Rebecca McCarthy, left the courtroom for a few minutes before returning to sit alongside her solicitor, Martin Harvey. At one point, a woman shouted out in the courtroom that Mr McCarthy had killed Clarissa, while another woman said: “If he was still alive, he would be charged with murder.”

The inquest heard Ms McCarthy had gone to Bantry earlier in the evening and, on returning at 8.30pm, had noticed no-one was in the house. On repeatedly ringing Mr McCarthy’s mobile phone, she found it in his jeep.

The situation became increasingly frantic as friends and neighbours began a search for Mr McCarthy and his daughter. The discovery of the suicide note prompted the Coast Guard from Goleen to search the area around Audley Cove, where the bodies of Clarissa and her father were discovered.

Mr O’Connell said there were no eye witnesses to the events, and that he had to factor in the suicide note written by Mr McCarthy. He expressed his deepest sympathy to Ms McCarthy and her family and to the family of Mr McCarthy.