There will be enormous sympathy for the families and friends of the two men who died in Sunday's tragic Ironman competition in Youghal, Co Cork.
Ivan Chittenden (64) from Toronto in Canada and Brendan Wall (45), originally from Slane, Co Meath but who had been living in England, both died when they got into difficulties at Claycastle beach during the sea swim element of the gruelling event.
Mr Chittenden and Mr Wall were taking part in a half, or so-called 70.3, Ironman, which typically includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.
Safety of competitors must be paramount in any organised sporting activity and it is now essential that the circumstances in which the event took place are closely scrutinised.
This includes whether the swim section – the first element of the race – should have happened at all and whether the triathlon should have proceeded following the double tragedy; Mr Chittenden and Mr Wall were pronounced dead at the scene.
The competition had originally been due to take place on Saturday but because of Storm Betty was delayed until the following day. Conditions then were clearly still far from ideal.
Triathlon Ireland, the national governing body for the sport, has said its officials conducted an assessment of the water conditions ahead of the race on Sunday. They told organisers that it could not sanction the Cork race "due to adverse conditions on the day". It isn't clear if this message was conveyed to competitors.
The Cork organisers did, however, reduce the length of the sea swim section for participants in the full Ironman, to the same 1.2 miles as the half-race.
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'Absolute carnage': Cork Ironman competitor slams conditions during event in which two men died
As one experienced competitor told this newspaper, the conditions in the water were "absolute carnage". In vivid testimony, he told of how he had been knocked unconscious when another swimmer was rolled on top of him by a huge wave. Other competitors, daunted by the ferocity of the waves, struggled to return to shore, he said.
Finance minister Michael McGrath, who is a TD for Cork South-Central, has pressed for a "comprehensive investigation into what happened".
"It is important that the full facts of what happened are established, and that any questions that are being asked are comprehensively answered," he said.
It is essential that any investigations are progressed quickly so that lessons can be learned in order to ensure that future sporting events, including intense competitions such as triathlons and Ironman races, can be conducted as safely as possible.
