by Alison Leon
9 November 2010
A farmer suffered fatal injuries when the tree he was cutting down fell on top of him.
The 57-year old, from Monasterboice in County Louth, was pruning the tree with the aid of a neighbour when it toppled over and landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
By the time emergency services arrived, the farmer had succumbed to his injuries. His body as recovered with the air of a JCB to lift the fallen trunk from him.
A post-mortem is due to be carried out at the nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in nearby Drogheda.
There was speculation, reports the Irish Independent, that a forecast of high winds as the result of Hurricane Tomas in the Caribbean may have spurned the farmer into cutting the tree down.
The Irish weather service, Met Eireann, has warned of heavy rain and 60mph winds in coastal areas.