Teenage girl who drowned in Howth tragedy named locally as Abbie Carmody-Pepper

Local Councillor Cathal Haughey has said that a conversation needs to be had about having a lifeguard at Burrow Beach during the month of May.

LAST UPDATE | 25 May

THE TEENAGE GIRL who died in a tragic drowning incident after getting into difficulty while swimming at Burrow Beach on Sunday has been named locally as Abbie Carmody-Pepper, from Poppintree in Ballymun, Dublin.

A funeral notice posted on RIP.ie says that she was the “beloved daughter of Mandy and Wayne” and the “beloved sister of Leon, Aaron and Warren.”

The notice further says that she is “sadly missed” by her wider family, who are “heartbroken”.

Funeral mass will take place on Friday morning at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the Sillogue Road in Ballymun.

blurred-frame (1) Abbie Carmody-Pepper Rip.ie Rip.ie

It’s understood that a group of teenagers from elsewhere in Dublin were socialising at Burrow Beach when members of the group went into the water, and one girl got into difficulty while swimming.

Coast Guard responded to the incident around 7pm and an RNLI lifeboat was deployed.

There was also a significant garda response that included the deployment of a coast guard helicopter.

The garda helicopter located the body of the teenage girl in the Portmarnock beach area around 8pm, a few kilometres across the water from Burrow Beach.

Coast Guard and RNLI personnel carried out CPR straight away, and continued with their efforts on land, but she was declared deceased shortly after.

A lifeguard will be stationed at Burrow Beach for the season summer on weekends during June, and every day during July and August, but a lifeguard was not present on Sunday.

Generally, lifeguards are not stationed on Irish beaches until after May.

Burrow Beach is known for fast-moving tides and strong currents. Local authorities regularly warn swimmers about potentially hazardous conditions in the area.

Local councillor Cathal Haughey said the local communities in Sutton and Howth are “in shock” following this “unthinkable tragedy”.

“Everyone was out on the beach this weekend and people were worried when they saw the Coast Guard out and the helicopter, so it was awful news that this young girl lost her life,” he said.

Haughey added that, in his view, a conversation needs to be had at a local council level about the need for lifeguards on the beach in May.

“It would make sense for there to be a lifeguard in May,” he said.

The Irish Coast Guard has reminded members of the public to call 112 or 999 if they see someone in difficulty.