A seven-year-old boy has died after falling from his beloved pony.
Animal-mad Patrick McCarthy was thrown from his horse during a ride in Blackpool, Cork, on Saturday.
He is said to have suffered 'serious head injuries' in the fall, and despite being rushed to the Mercy University Hospital by his mum and dad, Helen and Patrick, he later died.
His devastated family described the schoolboy as their 'little angel'.
His great-uncle Kieran McCarthy told the Herald that he was struggling to come to terms with the loss of such a young child.
"Patrick just loved that pony," he said. "He just loved being out with the animals and playing. He had a great smile. We can't believe he has been taken from us. It is all so sudden."
Patrick is survived by his sisters Helena and Teresa and his brother Martin.