A heartbreaking incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon in Dublin Bay, just a few miles off the entrance of Kingstown Harbour, resulting in the tragic drowning of Mr Matthew Kane, principal assistant in the Crown Solicitor’s Office at Dublin Castle. According to the available information, Mr Kane was part of a six-member party that embarked on a pleasure trip in the bay aboard a Ringsend fishing boat called the Annie, owned and steered by a man named William Ryee.

The outing proceeded without any issues until around four o’clock in the afternoon when the sweltering heat prompted one of the party members to suggest taking a swim. Mr Kane and two of his companions decided to join in and promptly entered the water. However, barely two minutes later, Mr Kane was observed losing all ability to move, his body lying motionless. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the occupants of the boat quickly realized that something was seriously wrong. The boat’s owner and another member of the party immediately went to Mr Kane’s aid in the punt being towed behind the boat. They brought him aboard and discovered that he had become unconscious. Despite the best efforts of his companions to revive him, their attempts proved futile. A messenger was dispatched to shore to fetch medical assistance, but upon the arrival of Dr McDermott, it was determined that Mr Kane had already passed away.

Mr Kane, originally from Limerick, had served as a clerk for many years under the late Mr Roche, the Crown Solicitor for the county.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 12 July 1904