A postmortem examination on the three-month-old girl killed by a dog at her Waterford home has been completed, gardaí have confirmed.
The dog that attacked the infant has been destroyed.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster conducted the postmortem, the results of which will not be released. The focus is now on the preparation of an investigation file for an inquest by the County Coroner.
An Garda Síochána has appointed a family liaison officer and continues to support the family, it said.
Mia O'Connell was in a bed in her terraced house in the small village of Clashmore when the dog went upstairs at around 2am on Monday and attacked her.
Emergency services treated the girl’s injuries at the scene before she was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The house was sealed off for a forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.
A file will be sent to the coroners’ court and an inquest will be held in due course.
The incident is being investigated by gardaí in Dungarvan who are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.
The girl's parents were engaged last New Year's Eve. Her mother is aged in her 20s and moved to the area relatively recently, while her father is in his early 30s and originally from nearby Youghal.
Local reaction
Fr Milo Guiry of Ardmore, whose parish encompasses the village of Clashmore, said what had unfolded was a "terrible tragedy".
“We will keep the family in our prayers. Every support will be offered to them. It is terrible, terrible news.”
Waterford Councillor Pat Nugent, who is a native of Clashmore, said the tragedy had occurred just hours after what had been a day of festivities in the village.
“This is the last thing you would expect to wake up to on a bank holiday morning. We had such a lovely day in the village of Clashmore yesterday.
“We had a cancer appeal and the GAA club was involved in it and we had vintage cars and a tractor run. People were out walking. It was back to a bit of normality.
“We had a lovely Mass yesterday morning. Little did we know that a tragedy would occur within 24 hours.”
Clashmore resident Pat Flavin said the family would be in the thoughts and prayers of everyone in the area.
“There are about 1,800 people in this area. It is a small place. Everyone will support them and do what they can for them.”
