'Fix broken weir to save lives,' say Cork drowning bereaved

Bernard Geasley who died on the River Lee at Ballincollig

The families of local heroes who risked - and one of whom tragically lost - their life to save others in a treacherous part of the River Lee are demanding that a broken weir is fixed as a priority to save others.

Local councillors predicted that the broken weir, which allows sudden rushes of water to hit a popular stretch of river by Ballincollig's Regional Park in Cork, would kill almost 20 years ago, but it was not repaired.

Bernard Geasley, aged 40, who “had a smile and word for everyone”, died while rescuing his brother, who slipped in while fishing on August 2.

On May 31, Abí Coughlan, 14, who lives in the same park as the Geasleys, almost drowned after she jumped into the same part of the river to rescue two friends who got into trouble. She pushed her friends to safety but the current pulled her under, tugging relentlessly at her feet, until she lost consciousness.

She was rescued by men who saw her drowning from the river bank and pulled her to safety. However, she now suffers from nightmarish flashbacks and persistent back pain and has difficulty sleeping.

“It is going to happen again unless something is done,” said Linda Geasley, Bernard’s grieving sister.

“We don’t want any other family going through what we’re going through.” 

Fine Gael councillor Derry Canty said that he “predicted tragedy" at the weir "long ago.”

 “I don’t care what it costs [to fix]. The price of life is so much dearer,” he said.

“If the weir was fixed it would stabilise the water flow into that part of the river."

Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher who has also been working to have the weir repaired with reinforced steel and concrete for years, remembers swimming by the weir as a child.

“Prior to the weir collapsing, the water was like an infinity pool on the Iniscarra side," he said. "It was so calm, the surface was as smooth as glass. That would be the case again if the dam was fixed.”