Funeral of Cork student who died in cliff fall to take place on Wednesday
Conor King died in a tragic incident in West Cork on Saturday.
The funeral of a young man who died in a tragic incident in West Cork will take place on Wednesday, April 28.
Conor King, from Douglas, died after suffering head injuries from a fall into a blowhole from cliffs near Garretstown Beach on Saturday night.
The 22-year-old Munster Technological University (MTU) student was part of a group who were camping on the beach close to the Old Head of Kinsale.
Multiple agencies including local fire services, gardaí, and the coast guard attended the scene after the alarm was raised at 11.30pm.
Rescue divers recovered Mr King’s body from the water which was later removed to Cork University Hospital (CUH).
A 23-year-old friend of the young man who went to his assistance but became trapped was later rescued by the divers. That young man is now recovering in hospital after receiving treatment for suspected hypothermia.
According to a death notice on RIP.ie, Mr King’s Requiem Mass will take place on Wednesday at 11am in St Patrick’s Church in Rochestown, followed by a cremation service.
The funeral will be private in accordance with current government guidelines but it will be streamed online.
Mr King is survived by his parents, Maura and Eamonn, and his sister Áine.
The family have asked for donations to be made to West Cork Rapid Response or West Cork Underwater Search and Rescue in lieu of flowers.
Local independent councillor Alan Coleman told the on Sunday that residents in the area are shocked by the fall and he described the incident as “a real tragedy”.
Dr Dan Collins, the academic administration and student affairs manager at MTU, said the thoughts of everyone at the university are with Mr King’s family and friends, and with the man who tried to save him, who is recovering in hospital.
“Our thoughts are with Conor’s family and friends, as well as with his classmates at the University and our colleagues in the Department and at the Faculty,” he said.
He told staff that he spoke with a member of the emergency services who tended at the scene and passed on the thoughts of the university to her and her colleagues.
And he said the university’s chaplaincy, pastoral care, and counselling teams, as well as the Students Union, are on standby to provide whatever support they can to anyone affected by the tragedy.
