The bodies of two young girls - close friends and cousins - have been found near to each other, about 10 feet from the surface of Hollywood Lake in Co Monaghan. They were found under separate holes in the ice.
Fewer than 24 hours after they went missing, Garda subaqua divers yesterday recovered the bodies of Louise McAloon (12) and her first cousin, Veronica McAloon (10) from the popular resort lake near Scotstown.
Post-mortems last night confirmed that the pair had died from drowning.
It is understood they had been trying to skate in wellington boots on the lake when the ice broke. Joint removal and funeral ceremonies for the two girls are expected to take place tomorrow. Theirs bring to four the number of deaths related to the recent cold weather.
The funeral will take place tomorrow of Kim Archibold (16) from Swords, Co Dublin, who sustained a neck injury in a tobogganing accident on Saturday. Last week Mrs Sarah Gallagher (92) froze to death after a fall outside her home near Annagry, Co Donegal.
The McAloon girls were last seen at around 1.30 p.m. on Saturday heading towards the lake, which has been developed as a children's amenity area.
Two hours later, when they failed to return home, the alarm was raised and a search involving up to 200 local volunteers and gardai began.
It was called off late on Saturday due to fading light and bad weather conditions, but resumed early yesterday with the aid of a Garda helicopter with heat-sensing equipment.
More than 100 Civil Defence and local volunteers joined the search, along with a 10-member Garda sub-aqua team. They entered the water through three inches of ice and located the bodies some 50 yards from the shore. The bodies were recovered just before noon. Louise McAloon, who lived just 50 yards from the lake, was a first-year student at St Louis Convent, Monaghan. She is survived by her widowed father, Owen, and two sisters. Her mother, Dympna, died suddenly five years ago.
Speaking outside the family home, Mr McAloon described his daughter as a quiet child who loved school and was inseparable from Veronica. He added his daughter was "a strong swimmer" and had gained a life-saver's certificate a year ago.
Veronica McAloon, from nearby Aghabog, was a pupil at the local national school. She is survived by her parents, Martin and Mary, and four siblings. Like Louise she was the youngest in her family.
Veronica was a regular visitor to Louise's lakeside home. The lake is a popular bathing resort during summer and was recently used by dozens of young people for skating.
"The whole area is a Mecca for kids," said Father Martin Treanor of Tydavnet parish. "It's a close-knit, rural community here. Everyone is in shock."
The bodies were removed from Monaghan General Hospital yesterday evening to the respective family homes.
