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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Edel Hughes

Tragic Irish mum Marie Downey will be laid to rest with baby son Darragh in her arms

Tragic Irish mum Marie Downey is expected to be buried with her son in her arms.

Marie, 36, was found lying on the floor at Cork University Hospital on Monday morning with her newborn son Darragh underneath her.

Tragically, the young mother, who has two other sons, was pronounced dead after efforts to resuscitate her and Darragh passed away on Tuesday evening.

Marie was breast-feeding her four-day-old son Darragh when the tragedy struck.

The deaths are being treated as a “tragic occurrence”.

It's thought she may have suffered a seizure which may have been sparked by an underlying medical issue.

Tragic mum Marie Downey may have suffered seizure when she fell from hospital bed while breast-feeding newborn son 

A death notice on RIP.ie reads: "Marie Downey (nee Cullinane) and Baby Darragh, Knockanevin, Kildorrery, Co. Cork and formerly of Ballyagran, Co. Limerick, unexpectedly on March 25th with her beautiful baby boy Darragh.

"Deeply mourned by her heartbroken husband Kieran, her adored sons and Darragh's big brothers James and Sean, her loving parents Jim and Helen, parents-in-law Tom and Alma, brother-in-law Patrick, sisters-in-law, Una, Fiona, Ellen and Mairead, aunts, uncles, relatives, neighbours and many friends."

It has been reported that Darragh will be laid to rest with his mother following a post mortem examination due to be carried out on Thursday.

Tributes paid to Irish mum Marie Downey and newborn baby Darragh who died in tragic Cork hospital incident 

Gardai are preparing a file for the Coroner who hold will later hold an inquest into the double tragedy.

Plans are being made for the funerals which are expected to be held in Ballyagran. Full funeral arrangements will be announced later this week.

A family pal described the double tragedy as “unbelievable”.

Marie’s parents Jim and Helen Cullinane, from Ballyagran, Co Limerick, were said to be “trying to come to terms” with the deaths of their only daughter and grandson.

Mum of newborn baby who died in double tragedy at Cork hospital named as Marie Downey 

Marie was a big fan of Limerick hurling and lived in her adopted home of Kildorrery, Co Cork.

She had previously hurled with Castletown-Ballyagran camogie club.

Local camogie representatives said they were “shocked” after hearing of the tragedy.

Limerick Camogie County Chairperson Liz Hennessy said she and her colleagues offered their “condolences”.

Newborn baby boy dies just day after mum's tragic death at Cork University Maternity Hospital 

A spokesman for Castletown-Ballyagran GAA club said it did not wish to comment, however, local GAA sources described the news as “a disaster”.

He added: “We are trying to get our heads around it. It’s a shocker.”

Ms Downey was living in Knockanevin, Kildorrery, along with her husband Kieran and their young sons James and Sean.

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