Funeral details announced for girl (12) who died in Tipperary swimming tragedy

Olivia Kelleher

Funeral details have been announced for a 12-year-old girl who died after she get into difficulty while swimming in the River Suir in Newcastle, Co Tipperary, last Friday afternoon.

Freya Tobin of Lynch Terrace in Newcastle was due to start first year in a local secondary school next September.

The student of Scoil Mhuire Caislean Nua in Newcastle was airlifted to Cork University Hospital following the incident which occurred shortly after 4pm last Friday.

She died onsite.

In a death notice on Rip.ie her loved ones say that Freya will be “sadly missed” by her mother Shannen, father Eddie and his family, her siblings Grayson, Eddie and Stephanie, her grandmother Nanna Triona and her partner Tom, grandfather OJ and his partner Colleen, her uncle Dylan and his partner Ericka, her aunt Amber, grandaunts, granduncles, cousins, extended family and her many friends. She was predeceased by her grandmother Laura.

Freya will lie in repose at the home of her grandmother Triona at Graig Mhuire, Newcastle on Tuesday afternoon from 2pm to 5pm.

Her coffin will be brought to Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Newcastle on Wednesday morning where a requiem mass will take place at noon.

Freya will be laid to rest in the new cemetery in Mollough. The funeral mass will be live streamed.

Meanwhile, mourners are asked to make a donation, if desired, to River Rescue in lieu of flowers. A Go Fund me page set up to pay for the funeral of the youngster has exceeded its target.

The organiser of the Go Fund Me, Kayleigh Tobin, said that Freya was the “kindest, most gentle soul to grace the community of Newcastle.”

“Her presence was magnetic. Her death leaves behind a wave of deep sorrow and regret. There wasn’t a single person who did not know her name, nor whom she wouldn’t have said hello to when passing through the village.

"She touched the hearts of every single person that had hte pleasure of knowing her, and you couldn’t help but leave her company with a smile on your face.”