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Farm via Shutterstock

Investigation launched after child (3) dies on farm

The young boy’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.

A CHILD HAS died on a farm in Cork.

Gardaí said that they are investigating the death, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

They said the three-year-old boy was injured in an incident involving a digger at Drimoleague in Bantry, Co Cork at around 10.30am today.

The child was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

The Health and Safety Authority said it is aware of the incident and told TheJournal.ie it is investigating the death.

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33 Comments
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    Mute P O' Neill
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:35 PM

    R.I.P can’t imagine what the family must be going through.

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    Mute Joe Mahon
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    Aug 1st 2014, 4:07 PM

    It’s time people started taking farm safety seriously in this country. It’s not good enough. I’m from a farm, grew up around farm machinery and work in the industry, and I’m well aware of the old fashioned attitudes of farmers to safety. Some people see it as a joke, and an attitude of “that will never happen on my farm” prevails. I’d be the first to defend farmers interests from non farming people complaining about other aspects of the agriculture industry in Ireland, but the rate of accidents and deaths on Irish farms this year is getting out of hand, and the farmers journal/IFA need to really start aggressively campaigning to change attitudes to farm safety in Ireland. In fairness they have begun to highlight the issue more recently. Of course accidents will always happen but the rates should be going down, not up, as people become more educated.
    RIP to the young child, heartbreaking for his family.

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    Mute jesi cramer
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    Aug 1st 2014, 4:59 PM

    Well said!

    62
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    Mute Sharon Reynolds McGourty
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:52 PM

    So sad. Poor little fella. Rip. I know my 3 yr old is mad for farming, tractors, diggers etc. It’s tough trying to keep him away from them but accidents can so easily happen.

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    Mute Kathy Jackowska
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    Aug 1st 2014, 5:46 PM

    Same here. Has a collection that he takes to bed every night

    57
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    Mute Maggie
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:34 PM

    Not again :(

    166
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    Mute John Doe
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:37 PM

    So so sad. Rest in peace little man.

    166
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    Mute Veronica
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:47 PM

    So many tragic accidents happening on farms round the country… so tragic & what devastation for his family… my heart breaks when I hear stories of farm accidents as they happen so easily…

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    Mute Laura Doherty
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:45 PM

    What a horrible tragedy :( but why was a three year old allowed anywhere near farm equipment?

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    Mute Mark Collins
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:50 PM

    Farms unlike factories are family home too .

    221
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    Mute jesi cramer
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    Aug 1st 2014, 4:25 PM

    Where children should be supervised at all times. I live on a farm with my husband and I will never understand how most of these accidents happen.

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    Mute Lisa O Mahony
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    Aug 1st 2014, 6:27 PM

    Accidents DO happen! No matter how careful you are!!!! Nobody’s perfect. Easier to judge when you’re not there…..

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    Mute jesi cramer
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    Aug 1st 2014, 6:34 PM

    You weren’t there either Lisa!
    We will probably never hear the full story behind this sad accidents, but this boy was 3, too young to even take the stairs alone never mind play out on the farm alone.
    Accidents do happen yes, but you can’t say that all accidents are unavoidable!

    52
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    Mute Chuck Eastwood
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    Aug 1st 2014, 8:21 PM

    Laura you are dead right. My father runs a farm and goes nuts any time his grand kids are brought any where near the yards where any machine is operating. This is careless and was 100% preventable. Why people continue pussy footing around this is beyond me when children are dying. The IFA and HSA have a huge amount to answer for, farm safety is a farce

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    Mute jesi cramer
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    Aug 1st 2014, 10:39 PM

    And you’re very pleasant. Nice language btw, very mature.

    32
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    Mute dusty
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 1:06 AM

    How many times has a child broken away from a parent for a split second ? It only takes a second accidents happen . It kills me when kids are involved like most people on here . Please think now about the family . Not why or how . . The blame game is poor form. I live and work machines on the farm and every farmers first thoughts are his or her kids . . So please please stop the shitty comments

    26
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    Mute dusty
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 1:13 AM

    Your comment is fairly ruthless is everything 100% preventable. Was that child of 2 that was killed was that preventable . No . . Take a minute and think to your own childhood . How many near ones did you have . . This was a sad accident .

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    Mute paperboy
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:53 PM

    A lot of fatal accidents happening around agriculture lately and possibly all avoidable. Rest in peace little one..

    76
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    Mute Margaret Martin
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    Aug 1st 2014, 7:09 PM

    Little 3 year old boys are able to run.possibly ran from house unknown to whoever was using the machinery.

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    Mute Chuck Eastwood
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    Aug 1st 2014, 9:19 PM

    Then you block it off with gates. It is that simply. Why in the name if god are you making excuses here. If people can put up fences to keep sheep worth very little it why cant the do the same to keep a child worth the world out of the farm. Again its 100% avoidable if people bother making the workplace safe and child free

    44
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    Mute Tony Collis
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 10:35 AM

    There was a 15 year old child killed by a lorry in Dublin last week should there be a fence put on every foot path where there is goin to be children near lorry’s? Have you nothing else to comment on other than some poor families misfortune. Get a grip seriously

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    Mute Colin C
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    Aug 1st 2014, 3:58 PM

    RIP. Tragic. Btw, Drimoleague is not in Bantry. It is between Bantry and Dunmanway.

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    Mute Doreen Savage
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    Aug 1st 2014, 10:48 PM

    My heart goes out to that poor family, can’t imagine what they must be going through. Farmers seem to get grants and payments for different things and maybe some of these grants could be linked to health and safety on the farm.

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    Mute Marguerite Dorgan
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    Aug 1st 2014, 10:16 PM

    Sensitivity at its finest jesi. Unbelievable

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    Mute jesi cramer
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    Aug 1st 2014, 10:37 PM

    Explain how it’s insensitive to say that kids should be supervised in dangerous areas?
    There’s a few comments that I find a bit harsh here but well done for targeting mine :/

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Aug 1st 2014, 11:31 PM

    Jesi I can never get my head around how someone like yourself can attempt to critisize unfortunate parents whose baby is not even dead 24 hours. Are you so perfect that you feel that you have the right to be so judgemental?

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    Mute Chuck Eastwood
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 12:06 AM

    Mary you know as well as I do if people don’t speak up on this now it will be forgotten about in a weeks time. Get off your high horse and maybe suggest something constructive as to how this might be prevented in the future rather than attacking people with valid points

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    Mute Karen Whelan
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 12:17 AM

    Mary

    Have you anything to add to the thread about the actual story or just like to criticise other posters?

    I agree with jesi even if I wouldn’t have put it like that myself. But then maybe that’s the problem? We are too soft when it comes to something as important as safety on farms.

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 12:48 AM

    A time and a place!

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    Mute Frank Heavey
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 10:41 AM

    O my god it so hard to give a comment ,poor family must be heart broken here are you all on a blame game.
    We all know how hard it is on a farm with small children they want to watch there dad or big brother on /tractors /diggers ect and the joy they get out of it ,my heart aches for them as I have 6 grand children and they all love been on the farm .but we have to be crul to be kind so sad .little angle rip .
    Frank kildare

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    Mute Kevin Scully
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 8:28 AM

    Accidents do not ‘happen’, they are ’caused’ either by negligence, improper safety awareness, training or procedures. Farms are places of work, and yes also places to live therefore health and safety implementation needs to be a priority. Far too many accidents associated with farming lately, my condolences to the family on their tragic loss

    4
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    Mute Michael Garett
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    Aug 2nd 2014, 8:53 AM

    All those safety signs that we are being told to put up during Bord Bia QA Audits won’t stop a single accident. Should Bord Bia “inspectors” be even allowed to do safety inspections as part of these audits? Stick to food marketing. Thats what Bord Bia is about. Not more clueless double jobbing muppets telling us what to do. HSA need to start shutting down farms to get message across. Some farms are death traps.

    3
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