A Deadly Accident, 1999, by Marshall Poe

From MemoryArchive

Who: Marshall Poe
What: The accidental death of a young woman.
When: 1999.
Where: Limerick, Ireland.

I was lecturer in Limerick, Ireland in 1999, and I had rented an apartment in the center of the city. It was in a newish building in a very old part of town across the street from the Round House Pub. My flat was on the fourth floor.

One night I was sitting on the sofa watching TV at about 10:00 pm when I heard a scream. This was not at all unusual in the neighborhood, as there were several pubs and a lot of young people. It was loud and close, though, and I considered getting up to see what it was. But I sat there, watching Benny Hill or whatever was on the tube. Then I went to bed.

The next morning I woke up, made some coffee, and turned on the radio (RTE). I listened for a while and then a report came on of a young woman who had fallen off the fourth floor balcony of an apartment in downtown Limerick the previous evening. I didn't think a thing about it, really.

Later that day I was at the university and people were talking about the death of the girl. I ask where it had happened. "Across from the Round House." Really.

I returned home and walked into the courtyard. I met someone and ask if they knew anything about the incident. "Yes, a girl on the fourth floor was sitting on the railing and fell off last night at 10:00 pm. She died right there..."