Family call for railings to prevent tragedies

THE family of Ruth Maguire, the mother of three from Newcastle, Co Down, who drowned after a night out at a hen party in Carlingford earlier this year, have made an impassioned plea for safety railings to be erected along the harbour to prevent further deaths.

Her mother Geraldine Worthington told the inquest hearing into her daughter’s death: ‘ We would like to see something done about the harbour as it’s totally unsafe.’

‘ The town makes money by attracting young people from all over Ireland to attend hen, stag and birthday parties. There are a lot of young people who are all drinking far more than they should be and there are no mummies, daddies or partners there to look after them.

She argued that the village had a responsibility to make it safer for the people they are making money out of.

She said that she loves Carlingford and its people, but the council has a obligation to do something to make it safer.

‘Carlingford is a beautiful place, I love going there,’ Ms Worthington said.

‘ The pier is a dangerous place, it is an uneven surface and it is very easy to trip and fall,’ she said. ‘Even when we go to lay flowers at the place where Ruth fell in, family members have tripped and almost fallen in themselves.’

She revealed that the family had heard of ‘near misses’ where other people had fallen into the harbour but fortunately had survived.

Someone had contacted them to say his brother had fallen in the water while on a stag night but had been rescued by his friends.

There were no warning signs and cars could drive down the pier and she was also fearful that a tragedy could happen if someone hit the wrong pedal.

She believed that ‘a simple handrail’ would make it safer, as the surface was of uneven cobbles with a massive drop to the harbour.

There was also a need for lighting to be installed so people could see where they are going.

‘I know it all costs money but a life is more important than money,’ she said.

Coroner Mr Ronan Maguire BL said that in light of the family’s concern, he will contact Louth County Council regarding the feasibility of putting in a guardrail at the harbour.