'Paddy got into difficulties and his friends could not save him'

'Paddy got into difficulties and his friends could not save him'

Ita McClelland describes a tragic swimming accident in which her cousin died.

Ita McClelland

Trinity College Dublin

1966

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Ita McClelland

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Co. Armagh

1960's

When I was about 10 years old, my cousin, Paddy Reilly who was just twenty two was drowned in a swimming accident. He and two good friends who worked in a sawmill in Armagh were coming back into the city after delivering a load of timber when they decided to go for a swim in the nearby river as it was a scorching June day. Unfortunately, Paddy got into difficulties and his friends could not save him. I think that was the first time I was aware of death. I remember the day so well. Someone came to the house to tell my mother (no phones in every house in those days) and she was crying and crying. My brother and a friend had dammed a river near our house on the same day to swim in and a neighbour shouted at them about what had happened to Paddy and told them to go home. There was a very long and sad wake as his body could not be found for several days and there was talk of perhaps he was not dead, perhaps he had been washed down river and was only injured, but that was not to be.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)