Youth swept to death in river

March 1992

THE FATHER of a 17-year-old Dublin student watched helplessly as his son was swept away by the strong currents of a swollen Avonmore River at Rathdrum in a canoeing tragedy which occured on Sunday afternoon.

The dead youth was Conor McGrane from Coolemine Boulevard, Blanchardstown, who was one of a number of people who had travelled from Dublin to Rathdrum for a day’s canoeing on the Avonmore, which is popular with canoeists.

Although Mr McGrane is understood to have been an experienced canoeist and a strong swimmer, he got into difficulties after his canoe overturned and he became entangled in the branches of a submerged tree on the river bed.

Other members of the party, including his father, attempted to rescue him but, despite their best efforts, they were unable to get him to shore. His buoyancy jacket was apparently swept off him during the rescue attempts, and a search carried out during the evening failed to recover Mr McGrane’s body.