Toddler's tragic death is second road fatality to befall Limerick family
Cousins die in west Limerick road collisions just over five years apart
THE TRAGIC death of Rathkeale toddler Peter Mulcaire in a road fatality on Saturday afternoon is the second one to befall the family, Limerick Live has learned.
The two-year-old is a cousin of Myles Harty, aged 20, from Askeaton, who died in a road traffic collision just hours before his wedding in 2021.
Peter’s heartbroken mum is Kerrie Mulcaire (née Harty). Her closeness to the late Myles is reflected by a photo of the young man as the profile picture on her Facebook page.
Mr Harty was due to marry his fiancée Kate Quilligan on August 21, 2021. However, just hours earlier he was a passenger in a car involved in a collision on the Rathkeale road outside Askeaton. Myles was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Just over five years later the wider Harty family have been plunged into further grief following Peter’s untimely passing.
It is understood the child was playing at the time of the tragedy in Abbey Court, Rathkeale shortly after 3:50pm on Saturday. He was rushed to University Hospital Limerick by a family member for treatment of serious injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased. Peter had only started preschool last week
A death notice on rip.ie reads: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the sudden and unexpected death of our beautiful little boy Peter Mulcaire aged just 2 years”.
Peter is predeceased by members of the Harty and Mulcaire Families.
The child is deeply mourned and forever loved by his heartbroken parents Kerrie and James, his loving brother Jim and sister Delilah, grandparents, great- grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, extended Harty and Mulcaire Families.
"Forever our Little Angel, May He Rest in Eternal Peace," reads the death notice.
Peter will repose in Cross’s Funeral Home, Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick city this Tuesday September 8 from 6pm to 8pm, followed by removal to St Mary’s Church in Rathkeale.
Mass of the Angels will take place on Wednesday at 11.30am, followed by burial in the new cemetery, Rathkeale.
Countless tributes have poured in on rip.ie
“I’m so sorry to hear about your beautiful boy. This is just heartbreaking. My thoughts are with his loving family and all his relatives at this very sad time. May his gentle soul Rest in Peace,” wrote one.
Another person said: “I can only imagine the pain and sadness at losing your beautiful little boy. May God give ye strength to face his journey to eternal peace.”
The vehicle involved in the collision which claimed Peter’s life failed to remain at the scene.
A male driver of the vehicle, aged in his 30s, was subsequently arrested at a different location by gardaí on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant.
The man was conveyed to a garda station in County Limerick for the purposes of providing a blood/urine evidential sample. He has since been released pending analysis of the evidential sample.
The garda investigation is ongoing.