Holiday on Cape Clear ends in family tragedy

THE tragic death of a father-of-three described as ‘the perfect dad’ while on a family holiday on Cape Clear has stunned the entire West Cork community. David Latten, (44), the son-in-law of respected former TD Jim O’Keeffe, went missing on Saturday when he went to retrieve a football that went over a cliff at the Chléire Haven glamping and camping site. He and his wife Neasa had been celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary with their three boys, Ruadhán, Odhran and Finn.

David Latten died in a tragic accident on Cape Clear.

At the start of what promised to be a wonderful family holiday, staying in the island’s yurts, the family had taken a bus trip, and visited the marriage stone, before returning back to the glamping site to play a game of kickabout. Saturday was a sun-filled and blustery day, but the site was sheltered so no one thought anything amiss when a stray ball went out of bounds, over a 6m cliff, onto the shore below. David Latten did his fatherly duties and went to retrieve it. He walked along the cliff top, parallel with the shore, down to the beach below the pub, and walked back to where the ball might have landed on the rocks below. When he failed to return at teatime, a search went out from the campsite, but it was a teenager from Skibbereen, who found a folded jumper on the beach, that led to his last location being more closely identified.

At about 8pm, the word had gone out and the island community gathered to carry out a search. But it was Baltimore man, John Kearney, now living on Cape Clear, who located the casualty after he went out in his RIB to the place identified by the teenager. The father-of-three was located in the sea not far from shore. He had a large gash on his head, which some suspect may have been caused by a fall, but the cause of death will ultimately be determined by a post-mortem. Baltimore’s inshore RNLI lifeboat was tasked with recovering the remains and they brought his body back to the station in Baltimore.

Later that evening, the all-weather lifeboat brought the family to Baltimore, so they could be reunited with their extended family. Mr Latten, who lived with his family at Templebryan South in Clonakilty, is the son-in-law of former Cork South West Fine Gael TD, Jim O’Keeffe. With his wife, Meadhbh, he has seven daughters and one son. Many of the O’Keeffe family are well known as members of the teaching and medical professions, like Neasa who works as a GP. They can claim a large community – not just of relatives, but of many people – who would call them friends. The O’Keeffe family has a long association with Cape Clear. Generations of the family spent summers there, so they are known and respected by Cape’s community.

‘He was the perfect dad,’ is how one islander described David. ‘He was the type of dad that everyone wants to have – he showed it in the way he spent time with his kids.’ The family outing turned to tragedy and their loss is being borne by an entire community. One islander, Seamus O’Driscoll, said he shares the feelings of dismay, upset and sincere sympathy for the family. ‘Everyone’s extremely upset that something like this would have happened to such a wonderful family,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to express in words that sense of loss.’