PRAYERS WERE offered at Masses in the parish of Douglas in Cork yesterday in memory of the 15-year-old girl who died in a sledding accident in the city on Saturday afternoon.
Aoife Downey sustained head injuries when a makeshift sleigh ploughed into a tree near the local golf club at 2.30pm on Saturday.
Aoife and three of her friends were playing on a steep snow-covered hillside when the incident occurred. Another girl and two teenage brothers suffered injuries in the incident. All three are under the age of 16 and were treated for their injuries at Cork University Hospital.
Friends of Aoife Downey attended Masses at the Church of the Incarnation yesterday in her home parish of Frankfield in Douglas.
At 11am Mass, parish priest Fr John Walsh said that following the tragic events in the parish on Saturday, God’s healing and presence was needed more than ever.
Aoife, who was a student at Christ the King secondary school in Cork, was remembered yesterday as a natural sportswoman with an immense zest for life. Aoife started playing camogie as a young child and was a member of Douglas Camogie Club.
Joe Long, chairman of the club said: “She was a very talented player and a lovely child. She won county medals at under-12 and under-14 level and was a member of the Douglas team who won the All Ireland Féile title in 2009. She was playing since she was seven or eight. She played in the under-16 county final two weeks ago.”
Philip Kavanagh, former coach of the underage camogie teams in Douglas, said: “She was also a great soccer player with the ability to make it into the Irish team and play internationally. She was a real nifty player in camogie and could score from anywhere. Aoife was a great forward.”
The outpouring of grief from Aoife’s friends was such that “Aoife Downey – RIP” began to trend on Twitter on Saturday evening. Aoife was remembered for among other things her love of the boy band, One Direction. An RIP Aoife Downey Facebook page also had more then 200 signatories by lunchtime yesterday.
Supt Charlie Barry, of Togher Garda station, said an investigation was launched following the accident and a forensic review carried out. He said they were treating the incident as a “tragic accident” and extended his condolences to the girl’s family.
Supt Barry made an appeal to children and their parents to be aware of the danger of home-made sleighs.
Expressions of condolence also came from Frankfield Golf Club owner Colman Ryan and local Labour councillor Denis O’Flynn.
Cllr O’Flynn said members of the community were numbed by the tragedy.
Aoife is survived by her parents Siobhán and Seán and younger sisters Aideen and Caoimhe.