A toddler was still fighting for his life last night after falling into a pool of water close to a temporary halting site on the Headford Road. The young boy, Pakie Delaney, was last night in a critical condition at University Hospital Galway.

He was found by a family member around 5pm on Sunday evening and was rushed to University Hospital Galway.

Margaret O'Riada of the Galway Traveller Support Group said the boy's family were praying for his recovery.

"It is a dreadful thing to happen and all our prayers and goodwill are with the Delaney family following this terrible accident," she said.

The little boy was last night being treated in the intensive care unit at UHG, where a spokesperson described his condition as "critical but stable". The little boy's uncle John Paul Delaney said the alarm was raised when Pakie was spotted face down in the water.

The small boy was found in a pool of water, which had developed as a result of work being carried out to fill in a drain close to where a number of Traveller families live.

He had apparently wandered away from his family's trailer to visit his grandmother's trailer, which is parked outside of the temporary site. Mr Devaney said they managed to place his little nephew onto the back of a truck and used CPR to partially revive him.

"The poor child was like a block of ice when he came out of the water. It was terrible. He had blue lips and a swollen belly.

"It was an awful shock to everybody. He is an only child and everyone is devastated at what has happened. We are all praying for the little lad and his family," he said.

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