An earnest appeal has gone out this week to young swimmers not to dive from the bridge into the river in Fermoy. Local councillor John Murphy made the appeal at the monthly meeting of Fermoy Town Council on Tuesday night, saying it was an extremely dangerous practice.

“We don’t want a tragedy like the one in Youghal on Friday last,” he said. A 12-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the sea there.

Cllr Colette Dolan-Moore said young people were also observed sitting in the weir area which was equally dangerous.

Speaking afterwards to The Avondhu, Cllr Murphy, who is a member of Fermoy Rowing Club and who knows only too well the dangers the river can pose in terms of currents, stressed that jumping off the bridge was ‘lethal’ and was ‘an accident waiting to happen’.

“Don’t let’s have a tragedy to spoil this lovely warm spell,” he pleaded. He also said young swimmers should refrain from walking or standing in the fish pass and weir area, given the dangers with flood protection works going on in the vicinity.