A round-up of today’s other regional stories in brief
Teagasc says grain production down on normal annual harvest
Overall production of grain is well back on the normal annual harvest, according to Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, writes Seán MacConnell.
Its interim harvest report said the expected overall production would be 1.9 million tonnes, down on the normal two million tonnes. All the crops planted showed a decrease and spring barley plantings dropped by more than 20 per cent. It reported progress with bringing in the harvest was excellent with close on 75 per cent now in store.
Girl (6) was killed by falling fireplace
A tragedy on Bere Island, Co Cork, last May was recalled yesterday at an inquest on a six-year-old island girl who died of head injuries when a fireplace toppled over and crushed her.
Aisling Sullivan died in hospital three days after being taken by boat for medical attention.
Cork City Coroner’s Court heard that a 5ft wooden fireplace had been left freestanding in the sitting room as the girl’s father, Jack Sullivan, was in the process of fitting a new boiler to the home heating system.
“I heard a loud bang in the room,” Mr Sullivan said. He found his daughter trapped beneath the fireplace.
Warning after angler drowns
There have been renewed warnings about the dangers for anglers following the drowning of a man after he slipped into the sea while fishing at Warren Strand, Rosscarbery, Co Cork. The funeral of Denis O’Mahony (54), Ballincollig, Co Cork, a father of seven, will take place in Togher tomorrow. He was the manager of the Angler’s Rest pub at Leemount. Patrick Buck, director of the South Western Regional Fisheries Board, said: “Certainly when sea fishing, you need to take account of the tides, the rocks and the nature of the sand. Wear appropriate clothing . . . and consider wearing a life jacket or a special flotation vest.”