A CORONER has called for a section of a popular cliff-top path in north Co Dublin to be fenced off after two people fell to their death at the same spot in a year.
Una Hurley (44), Brenmore Castle, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was on the Millennium Walk at Ballustree, Loughshinny harbour, on the morning of June 1st, 2009, when she lost her footing at a section of the walk near the cliff edge and fell on to rocks below.
“The path is perilously close to the edge,” said coroner Dr Brian Farrell, who told Dublin City Coroner’s Court that he had held an inquest into another death at the location last year.
“This is the second fatality at this location and from what I’m hearing, there are concerns about others who are near misses.
“I believe it is a popular walkway and we’d like to maintain that facility with adequate safety precautions,” said the coroner.
He said he would write to Fingal County Council and call for that section of the path to be moved back from the edge and for the area to be fenced off with warning signs erected.
“I’m so sorry to hear of Una’s death. She was a woman who knew this area . . . not only are we concerned about the local population . . . we are concerned about other people using it,” he said.
“Out of this we will hope further action will be taken in the interest of public health and safety.”
He recorded a verdict of accidental death due to a fall from a cliff-top on to rocks.
Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard Ms Hurley, a chartered accountant with Fáilte Ireland, had gone to church and had visited her parents on the morning of June 1st. She decided to do the cliff-top walk rather than a beach walk as she was afraid of dogs and it being a bank holiday weekend, there were a lot of dogs on the beach.
Anthony Bradshaw (40), a father of two from Woodale Road, Rush, Co Dublin, died of multiple traumatic injuries after he fell from the same spot on June 19th, 2008. An inquest took place into his death in March last year.
A barbed wire fence and a sign were erected following his death, which were yesterday described respectively as “not adequate” and “not enough”.
The coroner said he would write to the local authority after five individuals, including Ms Hurley’s brothers Donal and Barry Hurley, expressed serious concerns about the path at the inquest.
“They have put in barbed wire, but it’s still very unsafe to be walking,” said Donal Hurley.
“The grass is deceiving . . . it’s dropping . . . it’s quite a fast incline . . . if you lose your footing, that’s it,” he said.
Dublin Fire Brigade firefighter Joe Scully, who attended both fatalities, told the coroner that particular parts of the walk needed to be closed off.
“When you fall there’s no coming back. The only thing to do is to close it off, to make it highly visible,” said Mr Scully, speaking from the body of the court.