Gardaí were last night investigating the circumstances in which a mother and her young son fell to their deaths at the 198m (650ft) high Cliffs of Moher yesterday. The two fell from a location outside the designated walking area at the tourist attraction at 3.15pm.
They were named locally last night as Eileen Murphy (26) and her four-year-old son, Kevin, from Corrin View in Ballyhea, near Charleville in Co Cork.
A search and rescue operation was launched within minutes of the incident after a ranger working at the cliffs spotted two bodies in the water. The Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter and the Doolin Coast Guard unit reached the location at 3.45pm and the bodies were recovered and brought back to Doolin harbour.
Ms Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene and efforts were made to revive the boy at the pier by Coast Guard personnel before being transferred to University College Hospital Galway by the Coast Guard helicopter.
It is understood that Ms Murphy's sister and mother were travelling to Galway last night to formally identify the bodies.
A native of nearby Churchtown, Ms Murphy and her son are understood to have travelled to Galway yesterday morning before getting a tour bus to the cliffs.
A Garda spokeswoman said last night that investigating officers were trying to ascertain the circumstances around the deaths of the two.
Doolin Coast Guard rescue unit spokesman Mattie Shannon said the woman and the boy were discovered in the water 200m (656ft) south of the designated visitor walking area at the cliffs towards Hag's Head.
Yesterday's tragedy came two months after a 35-year-old German woman, Dorota Wenger, fell to her death after slipping at the cliffs.
As part of the €32 million spend on the new visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher, Clare County Council has upgraded the cliff edge to improve health and safety standards.
The centre is to be opened next month by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.