The father of retired Limerick footballer Seamus O’Carroll was “crushed” to death when an “unsafe” automatic steel gate, weighing one-metric tonne, shut on him as he attempted to enter his workplace.
A warning about the potential dangers of automatic gates was raised by Helen McCarthy, an inspector with the Health and Safety Association (HSA), who investigated the circumstances surrounding James “Jim” O’Carroll’s death, as she gave evidence at his inquest, held at Limerick Coroner’s Court, Wednesday.
Mr O’Carroll’s son, Seamus, who recently retired from the Limerick senior football team, and who is a Garda based in Dublin City, excused himself from the court as evidence of his father’s fatal injuries were read into the record by Limerick Coroner, John McNamara.
