A tragic 12-year-old boy died after he fell over a staircase bannister at his primary school.
Sixth class pupil Blaise Cunningham suffered fatal head, neck and back injuries just moments after students left their classroom.
He was a popular and sports-loving student at St Brigid’s National school in Castleknock, North Dublin. A source said: “It was a freak accident. The
children were just leaving school at the end of the day.”
The boy is believed to have fallen more than 12ft from the second floor of the two-storey building last month.
Blaise fought for his life for two weeks in hospital but died last Wednesday. The distraught family of the Castleknock Celtic under-13s player kept a constant vigil by his bedside.
Blaise was laid to rest on Saturday after his funeral at St Vincent’s Castleknock College chapel.
The source added: “It’s quite traumatic and local residents have been holding a minute’s silences for him at various meetings. Everybody is very upset and the wider community are very sad.
“For the school in particular and the principal is teaching there 40 years and a lot of people would have had him down through the years.
“It’s very upsetting for the school and for the staff that such a freak accident could happen on the grounds.”
The Department of Education was contacted last night for comment.
