Speaking for the first time about the tragedy to the Sunday Tribune, Linda Fox said, "He never came home for his dinner. I had left it sitting out in the kitchen for him. It's still there. I just can't bring myself to throw it out."

The four-year-old died after trying to climb out a window at his school after he apparently wandered unnoticed into the building before it was locked up on Tuesday evening.

Karl's older brother Gavin went in search of him after realising that he was missing from the family home in the nearby Bauroe housing estate. Karl was discovered hanging by his coat from a toilet window at the school.

"Karl was always playing from when he got up in the morning until he went to bed at night, so it was not at all unusual that he hadn't come home from school, " said his devastated mother.

"Gavin came back from hurling and after a while, we started to wonder where Karl was. We presumed he was still playing in the hurling field.

Gavin went looking for him and found him hanging from the window at the school.

"After taking Karl down, Gavin carried him out onto the road and flagged down a car. The car gave them a lift down to the house and we got an ambulance for him, but it was too late."

Karl's death is the second tragedy to hit the Fox family, as Linda had a stillborn child eight years ago.

Looking at a picture of Karl, Linda said, "He never stopped smiling. He has a big warm smile in every single picture we have of him. Karl always had his laces open. He was known for it here in the estate and was always asking the neighbours to tie them for him. All the kids in the area nick-named him 'Tie-me-lace'."

Karl's favourite toys now rest idly in the family livingroom and rekindle Linda and Noel's memories of their son's energetic young life.

"His tractor was his favourite toy and he was always out playing on it. When he wasn't on the tractor or playing with his toy cars he would be out hurling, " said Noel. "He had a great puck for a little child and he always had the hurley in his hand practising."

Linda recalled how Karl loved school so much that he would be standing inside the front door of the house with his coat and bag on him pleading with her to allow him go to school early. "He used to skip up the path to school so early that he would be there even before the teachers."

She added, "Karl's teacher had set up a Shared Reading Club in school where the kids would take home a book each day and read it.

"He didn't realise that he was meant to exchange his book for a different one each day. He kept the same book in his school bag all the time and it was called Be Gentle."

Linda and Noel and their five children moved from Tallaght to live in the picturesque east Clare village of Feakle four years ago as part of Rural Resettlement Ireland (RRI), a programme for relocating Dublin families to rural areas.

"It is such a peaceful area, the kids love it and the neighbours are so good. They were all so good to us on Tuesday when Karl was found at the school, " said Noel.

"There is a great sense of community here and everyone in the area . . . the neighbours, gardai, teachers and priest . . . could not have done more for us over the past few days."

As the family attempt to come to terms with the tragedy, parish priest Fr Michael Hogan likened Karl's death to "a flower dying before it had the chance to grow" at his funeral mass on Thursday.

Dozens of floral tributes were placed on the wall outside the school where Karl's short life ended so tragically.

One message read: "You're our little angel now Karl. Our shining little star. We will love you forever."