A popular nun whose body was recovered from the River Lee died amid blustery weather conditions with gusts up to 83km/h.
Sr Jean Browne (53), principal of the Ursuline Convent in Blackrock, Cork took regular walks along the banks of the Lee, an inquest into her death has heard.
Recording an open verdict, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said Sr Browne was an “exemplary member of her society who left a wonderful legacy but was a huge loss to the community”.
Sr Browne was last seen alive captured on CCTV walking by the Pier Head Inn at Blackrock at 6.50am on January 15th, 2015. She had spent the previous evening discussing holiday plans to Italy with her fellow Ursuline community member Sr Mary McDaid.
It was a relaxed evening and Sr Browne was happy, if a little tired, following a school inspection by education authorities the previous week, according to Sr McDaid.
Sr Browne had given a presentation to the inspectorate and class inspections were on-going. Sr Browne was in “excellent health”, she said, but had problems with her lower back.
“I was aware of the inspection, I felt she might benefit from the opportunity to chill out for a while,” Sr McDaid said.
The following morning, Sr McDaid noticed the convent exit door was left on the latch but there was no sign of Sr Browne in the convent or in the school. Calls were made to her mobile, which was left in her bedroom, where the blinds remained closed.
Her body was later discovered on a river back close to Blackrock Castle at around 3pm. Daniel Barnhorn, a nurse visiting Ireland from Canada, was alerted to the body by a group of children whom he said were “stressed and agitated” by the discovery. Sr Browne was pronounced dead at the scene.
Det Paul Radley of Blackrock Garda station said weather conditions were freezing cold and blustery on the day, with wind speeds of 31- 50km/h and strong gusts of up to 83km/h.
“The CCTV footage is the only sighting. I was not able to establish how, where or when she entered the water,” Det Radley said.
Sr Browne died of acute cardiac respiratory failure due to drowning, assistant State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest.
Dr Cullinane said many of the findings were in keeping with an accident but the lack of evidence meant that an open verdict must be returned.
“This was an event that caused a great deal of shock and distress in the community.
“It is clear she was a very valued and loved member of the convent and the community,” the coroner said.