Children’s deaths herald tragic start to weekend

Two children died just hours apart in Cork and Tipperary, heralding a tragic start to the Bank Holiday weekend.

Fionn Mulhall, 3, died after being crushed at a farm in West Cork, while Thomas David Ryan was knocked down and killed by a van just feet from his home in Co Tipperary.

The farm accident happened at Gortnascreena, Drimoleague, yesterday morning.

Fionn, the son of farmer Greg Mulhall and his primary school teacher wife, Imelda, died from crush injuries after apparently getting trapped beside a JCB in the family’s farmyard.

He was rushed to Bantry General Hospital, but despite desperate efforts to save him he was pronounced dead. Gardaí said they are treating the incident as “a tragic accident”.

A postmortem is expected to take place today.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) are investigating the incident and gardaí are preparing a file for the coroner’s court.

Cllr Joe Carroll, who knows the family, said: “This is an absolutely shocking thing to happen. It’s so tragic for the family and everybody’s thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.”

A HSA spokesman said the tragedy brought to 16 the number of people killed in farm accidents this year.

“The trend is steadily high. It’s absolutely shocking and we’re working very hard with stakeholders such as the IFA, ICMSA and Teagasc to try and reduce these deaths,” the spokesman said.

Fionn was the second child to die from crush-related injuries on a farmyard in Cork in the last three months.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Tipperary Town continue to investigate the death of little Thomas Ryan at a halting site. It’s believed that a visitor was driving a van which accidently rolled over the child at the halting site at Rosanna Road shortly before 8pm last Thursday.

He was rushed to South Tipperary General Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

“It’s a terrible tragedy, his family are heartbroken,” local parish priest Fr Matthew McGrath said.

According to statistics released by the gardaí and RSA 13 children under the age of 16 have died in the first seven months of the year in road accidents.

Seven children lost their lives last year. From January to July 2014 there were 104 accidents, resulting in 113 deaths.