First of the drowning victims to be laid to rest tomorrow

The first of the victims of Tuesday’s triple drowning will be laid to rest tomorrow with the funeral of Cork student Niamh O’Connor.

Yesterday, a grieving Ann Davis made a poignant visit to the spot where she lost both her partner and her son.

Alongside her daughter Charlotte, who had raised the alarm on Tuesday, Ann accompanied gardaí — including a liaison officer — to the Beacon overlooking the spot where the search continued for her son, CIT student Barry Davis Ryan.

It was believed the 20-year-old had entered the water in a bid to save his girlfriend, Niamh, before he too got into difficulty.

His father, Barry Ryan, sent Charlotte to get help and then entered the water himself. Not long afterwards, two local lifeboats plucked Barry Snr and Niamh from the water.

UCC flag at half-mast as we remember Niamh O'Connor. The Ryan family are also in our thoughts http://t.co/5TkI9JoM4x pic.twitter.com/Lp777WH9qT

— UCC Ireland (@UCC) July 2, 2015

Emergency teams performed CPR on both Ms O’Connor and Mr Ryan — son of Penneys founder Arthur Ryan — for more than an hour in a desperate attempt to keep them alive.

Niamh, of Blossomgrove in Glanmire, had been working in Penneys in Cork, as had her boyfriend.

The death notice described her as the cherished eldest daughter of Paul and Catherine and adored sister of Clodagh and dear girlfriend of Barry.

It said Niamh would be sadly missed by her loving parents, sister, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

She will lie in repose at her residence this evening from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and Requiem Mass will take place at 10am tomorrow at The Sacred Heart Church in Glounthaune, with the funeral afterwards to St Catherine’s Cemetery, Kilcully.

Barry Ryan will repose at the Sacred Heart Church, Rath, tomorrow, from 5pm to 7pm, with funeral Mass on Sunday at 10.15am and burial at Tullagh Cemetery, Baltimore.