Investigations after man dies in trench collapse on Co Cork farm

Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority have started separate investigations into the death of a 33-year-old man in a workplace incident on a farm in Co Cork.

The man, named locally as Denis Cullinane, was laying drainage pipes in a five-metre deep trench on a farm at Roovesmore near Coachford at about 10am on Thursday when the sides of the trench collapsed in on top of him.

The alarm was raised and the emergency services, including units of Cork County Fire Service from Macroom and Ballincollig, arrived on the scene.

However, rescue efforts were hampered by the need to make the trench safe before rescuers could try to get to Mr Cullinane, who was trapped beneath a large quantity of earth.

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Rescuers recovered Mr Cullinane at about 4pm.

A local doctor pronounced him dead at the scene and his body was removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem on Friday.

A native of Roovesbeg in Coachford, Mr Cullinane was assisting a neighbouring farmer to lay pipes to improve drainage from a field.

Gardaí from Macroom and HSA inspectors attended the scene on Thursday and will carry out separate investigations.

A Garda spokesman confirmed gardaí will prepare a file, including the results of the postmortem examination, for an inquest at the South Cork Coroner’s Court.