Baby girl killed in dog attack

A baby girl has died after being attacked by a dog in Co Waterford.

The three-month-old child was fatally injured in the incident at a house in the village of Clashmore in the early hours of Monday.

Gardai and paramedics attended the scene and the infant was taken to Cork University Hospital.

She was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.

A Garda statement said gardai were investigating all the circumstances of the incident.

The terraced house where the child was attacked by the animal overnight remained cordoned off on Monday.

Uniformed gardai kept watch outside the property as members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out an examination inside.

Fr Milo Guiry, who is administrator of the parish that encompasses the village of Clashmore, said local people were in shock.

“This was a young baby, it’s terribly, terribly sad,” he said.

Fr Guiry said the parish would be offering support to the family involved.

“We offer our sympathy and our support to the family at this terrible time for them,” he said.

Mayor of Waterford, Damien Geoghegan, said the local community had been stunned by the “awful and terrible” incident.

“It was very sad news to wake up to this morning that a three-month-old child had lost her life in such tragic circumstances,” he said.

“It has rocked the community here in west Waterford and particularly in the village of Clashmore, which is a lovely, quiet, rural village in west Waterford.

“My sympathies certainly go to the family and everybody’s thoughts and prayers will be with them in the coming days and weeks and months ahead.

“People are just stunned today at the news – everybody is just really, really saddened.”