Latest news with #OceanSandsHotel
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Man who lost 'beautiful souls' does not want driver 'consumed by guilt'
A man who lost 'two beautiful souls' — his daughter and her mother — in a road accident just over a year ago has assured the driver of the other vehicle involved that he does not hold him responsible for the tragedy, a double inquest was told. The 'heartfelt' message, written by Arnaud Tournié, who is French-based, was read in full by the coroner for Mayo, Eleanor Fitzgerald, at a hearing in Ballina into the deaths of Aisling Moore, a 46-year-old beautician, and her eight-year-old daughter Abbigael Tournié Moore on July 2, 2024. The mother and daughter, who lived in Swinford, were travelling on the N26 between Foxford and Swinford in a Toyota car when they were involved in a collision with a Scania truck tractor unit and trailer at Callow, Foxford, and died instantly after suffering devastating injuries. The pair had earlier enjoyed a break at the Ocean Sands Hotel in Enniscrone and intended returning there, according to John Burke, the hotel's accommodation manager, who chatted with Aisling before she set out on her ill-fated journey. In his evidence to Thursday's inquest, the West Coast Express truck driver, Martin Crean, said he had been travelling towards Foxford with a 45ft trailer when the car came around a bend at speed on the wrong side of the road. 'I thought it possible to go into a side road, but the vehicle kept coming towards me," Mr Crean said. Mr Crean gave details of harrowing scenes at the impact site, and said he had been traumatised and shocked by the accident and what he witnessed afterwards. In a deposition read to the hearing, eyewitness PJ Wall said he had been travelling to Swinford to pick up a generator travelling behind a silver car when the car went on the wrong side while negotiating a left hand bend. Mr Wall said the driver of the car tried to correct herself, but the truck hit her and pushed her along the road before jack-knifing and pushing the car into a ditch. No defects Sergeant Gabriel McLoughlin examined both vehicles in the aftermath of the collision. In a written statement read to the inquest by Sergeant Sean McHale, Sgt McLoughlin outlined no defects had been found in either vehicle that would have contributed to the collision. Pathologist Tamas Nemeth gave evidence that the medical cause of death in Aisling's case was extensive fatal injuries including multiple fractures and head injuries. The medical cause of Abbigael's death was extensive head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. After recording verdicts of accidental deaths in both cases, the coroner read into the record Arnaud Tournié's letter to Mr Crean. Mr Tournié wrote: 'No words can express the depth of my grief. Yet, despite this immense pain, I want you to know I do not hold you responsible for this tragedy. 'I want to extend my heartfelt support to you. I know you must carry this image with you every day, and that it cannot be easy for you or your loved ones. 'I do not want you to be consumed by guilt, because this accident was neither the result of any wrongdoing or negligence on your part. 'You did what you could and no one is ever truly prepared for such a moment — unfathomable and unfair — for all of us. 'Please receive these words as a gesture of compassion, of humanity, and, I hope, a small measure of solace. 'I wish you with time the inner peace needed to move forward and to honour, in your own way, the memory of these two beautiful souls.'
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Beach adventure staycation situated on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way with family fun, craft market and stunning spa
'IF ONLY we had the weather, you'd never leave' is a familiar refrain in Ireland. It crossed my mind when, in March, I had to swap sun-kissed 5 Neil, his wife Sara and their three children headed off for a beach staycation in March 5 Neil with children Amaia 14, Caleb, 12, and Eli, 7, enjoying a delicious meal out Credit: Journalist Collect 5 The family stayed in the Ocean Sands Hotel Credit: PR Handout Granted, the clear skies may not be guaranteed, or even typical, for the west of Ireland particularly for that time of year, but it showcased this much-loved seaside resort in all of its glory. Its golden No filters required for the teenage daughter's photo. Our room in the Ocean Sands Hotel afforded us a fine view over Killala Bay but it was only a hop, skip and a jump before we had the sand under our feet. READ MORE IN TRAVEL Naturally, both boys needed a change of footwear before dinner as they came off worse in a game of chicken with the tide. But we were in the Ocean Bar and Restaurant in time to see the last bit of daylight disappear with the hotel also offering a more formal dining experience in its Dune Restaurant. In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity and the hotel's owners made good use of its enforced closure during the It was money well invested with our large Most read in the Irish Sun It is both large enough to host - as it did whilst we were there - weddings and a dinner for the local And, so, when our middle child turned 12 on our second day, they had thoughtfully left a birthday cake for him in our room. Inside stunning glamping site in breathtaking location - where guests can stay in treehouses, domes or a cottage He had taken advantage of the day by piggy-backing on his mother's morning As well as being given putting tips overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, they were regaled with tales of visits from celebs such as Bill Murray by the course's general manager Keith O'Neill. SURPRISE SIGHT Not a golfer, I went for a wander with the other two from one end of the town to the other, taking in the incongruous sight of a Boeing 767 lying in a field with a train carriage. A Google search jogged my memory that the plane had arrived via a two-day journey up the coast on a barge from Shannon with the intention of using it as the centrepiece of a glamping village. That plan did not quite come to fruition but it certainly provides a talking point and presumably bewilderment for some visitors. At the far end of town, there was an indoor craft market in the old church which is on every Saturday. We regrouped at the Offshore Coffee & More container just behind the dunes for a delicious acai bowl and coffee, further lining our stomachs for our biggest exertion of the day - the Kiltimagh Velorail. RAILWAY TO GO The railway line through the But, in 2023, it welcomed passengers back on railbikes. GO: ENNISCRONE Get there: Enniscrone is roughly a three-hour drive from Dublin. The nearest train station is Ballina (19km) and airport Knock (57km) Stay: Ocean Sands Hotel, with rooms from €129. On the main street, with the beach at its back door. To Do: Outdoor activities including watersports with Tonnta Adventure; if you want to venture further afield, try Kiltimagh Velorail. It is a great repurposing of an amenity which was lying idle and, for €40 for the railbike which seated all five of us, you get an affordable leisurely meander through the countryside on a 9km roundtrip route. It was the first day of the 2025 season when we were there but it already had an impressive number of bookings. Just make sure to freewheel when the opportunity presents, though, because remember you have to go back up that slope you benefitted from on your outward trip on your return. After all that hard work, it was time for a pint. We had one in Gilroy's after the 40-minute drive back, and the following day tried the Pilot Bar and also watched a match in McNulty's. We did not quite make it to Hopkins but sure that provides solid grounds for a return visit. HIGH-QUALITY FOOD There were no quibbles with dining in the same place two nights in a row with ample variety of high-quality food available on both the adult and child menus with Tricia ensuring we were well looked after with manager Jennifer also dropping by for a chat. We were a little early in the year for the full range of outdoor activities that Enniscrone has to offer to be available but Tonnta Adventure can provide surfing, hiking, biking as well as team-building exercises. Another reason to go back. In the absence of those, we got to explore what one might do if your energy levels were not quite up to the above. So I treated myself to a full body massage in the hotel's Ocean Spa whilst my wife opted for a seaweed bath, for which Enniscrone is renowned. FUN FOR ALL AGES For the younger members of our crew, a trip to the WaterPoint Aqua Park was a fine alternative. There, they got to try out the climbing wall, obstacle course and slide in the playroom before decamping to the pool where the slide, kids pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi ensure that all ages are well catered for. Bulgaria was beckoning for me so I headed home early whilst the remainder stayed on for another idyllic evening. 5 There is fun for the whole family on this getaway to Sligo 5 The family even got a bit of a history lesson on the trip
