OPW sued over fall down abbey’s spiral staircase

A tourist who slipped and fell on an ancient stone spiral staircase at Quin Abbey, Co Clare, has sued for damages.

Pensioner Richard Byrne told Mr Justice Michael Moriarty yesterday he was in excruciating pain after the incident at the historic monument in 2010 and had shattered his shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Mr Byrne, of Flixton, Manchester, has sued the Office of Public Works.

He claims that on July 25th, 2010, he lost his footing while descending the staircase and put his weight on the rope handrail provided. It failed to give him proper support and he fell down six steps, suffering severe personal injury, he says.

Mr Byrne said he had come to Ireland with his three daughters and grandchildren and the family had hired a cottage in Co Clare. On the first day, he went with two of his daughters to Quin Abbey.

Mr Byrne said it was drizzly weather and they had gone up a spiral staircase to a grassy area. They went down another stone spiral staircase and he lost his balance, he said.

When he returned to the England, he said he found the bones in his elbow had fused over. He now had arthritis in the shoulder and suffered pain.

The case continues.