A young mother jumped with her four-year-old son to their deaths from the Cliffs of Moher, an inquest in Galway has heard.
Eileen Murphy (26) and her son, Evan, almost certainly died immediately from injuries sustained in the 600ft fall.
State pathologist Prof. Marie Cassidy said the mother and son died from multiple injuries. There was no evidence of drowning.
An effort by the rescue services failed to save the pair, who were airlifted to University College Hospital in Galway.
West Galway coroner Dr Ciarán McLoughlin said it was probable that both had died at the scene.
The inquest was told that Eileen Murphy and Evan booked into the Skeffington Arms Hotel in Galway city centre on January 29th last, having travelled from their home in Churchtown, Co Cork, earlier that day.
Ms Murphy had inquired about buying tickets for a trip to the Cliffs of Moher and next morning bought a ticket at the shop beside the hotel.
Shop assistant Ann Koshiba said that almost everyone asked what time the bus returned to Galway, but the young woman with the child did not.
The inquest heard that as the bus pulled into the car park, Ms Murphy jumped off and headed up the road so quickly that the bus driver warned her to be careful.
Áine O'Loughlin, a ranger at the Cliffs of Moher, noticed the young woman carrying the child up to the cliffs on what was a very gusty day.
She alerted another ranger, Tom Doherty, when she spotted the woman and child ignore a sign warning visitors not to go beyond that point.
Mr Doherty said he searched the cliff edge but could see no one. He looked down at the sea and first noticed one, and then a second, body in the water. He immediately alerted the lifeboat and other rescue services.
Dr McLoughlin extended his sincere sympathy to the mother of Eileen Murphy.