Gardai to check insurance, safety tests in investigation of death at funfair

GARDAI investigating the death of a woman in a funfair accident in Tipperary on Sunday will try to establish today if the operators were covered by insurance.

Ms Marese Egan (25), a single parent from Springfield near Borrisokane, was killed when she was thrown from a funfair ride on Sunday evening. Her four year old daughter, Samantha, was injured.

The Health and Safety Authority is also expected to investigate the incident and, along with gardai, may prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"The matter of insurance has to be fully established," according to the garda leading the investigation, Supt Kevin Ludlow. Gardai are also expected to investigate whether the equipment had been tested for safety by qualified engineers.

A list of witnesses has been drawn up and statements will be taken as evidence for the inquest into Ms Egan's death.

Samantha, who suffered head wounds, is in a stable condition in Nenagh General Hospital. "She's okay. She misses her mum and she knows something has happened to her," one garda source said.

The operators have not been identified, but are believed to be a family run business, based in the Thurles area. Gardai said yesterday the travelling fair, in Borrisokane for the village festival, was the only fair run by the operators.

Health and Safety Authority Inspectors from Cork were expected to examine the scene and liaise with gardai on the investigation.

Yesterday, it appeared that the vertical bar attaching the chair to the "chair o plane" ride snapped, flinging it just a few feet. One garda said the ride was not operating at full speed at the time. Ms Egan was fastened to the metal chair by a safety bar. Samantha was thrown clear.

"It looks like it was the safety bar that killed her. If she'd been able to jump clear she probably would have been OK," a garda source said.

The operators have agreed to leave the fair in place pending a full investigation and the area was still sealed off last night.

The results of a post mortem carried out in Nenagh are expected this morning. Ms Egan was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor.

Her mother, Ms Phyllis Egan, was with her at the fair, and it is not clear whether she witnessed the accident. Her brother, Adrian, and sister, Regina, arrived on the scene shortly after Ms Egan died.

The post mortem is expected to determine whether Ms Egan died of severe head injuries or a broken neck. "She did lose quite a lot of blood at the scene," Supt Ludlow said.

The village was holding its second "Home coming Festival" which included concerts and a fancy dress parade.