AN ELDERLY west Cork cattle farmer was knocked down by a calf and later died, an inquest heard yesterday.
Denis O’Leary (82), from Brownstown, Ardfield, Clonakilty, walked into a farmyard adjoining his house on Friday, April 16th, 2010, where a relative was herding cattle into a pen at 4.30pm.
While most of the cattle were enclosed in a pen, there were two cows and up to four calves loose in the yard when one calf turned to run in the opposite direction. Mr O’Leary stepped into its path to stop it from escaping.
Giving evidence at Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, farmer Jimmy Butler described how the young calf reared up at Mr O’Leary and hit him in the chest, knocking him over.
“We were just putting the cows back in the pen at the time. One calf turned back and when Denis stepped in to try and block it, it kind of reared up and knocked him down.”
He told coroner Dr Myra Cullinane that at 14 stone Mr O’Leary was a “big enough man”. He estimated the calf’s weight as between 3½ and four stone.
Mr O’Leary hit his head on the concrete yard as he fell back and sustained a fractured skull. He was knocked unconscious. A west Cork-based rapid response vehicle was on the scene within minutes, followed by an ambulance, and Mr O’Leary was rushed to Cork University Hospital.
He was conscious but confused upon admission to hospital, and further tests led medics to conclude he was not suitable for an operation to save his life. His life-support machine was switched off that night and he passed away the following morning, Saturday, April 17th, at the hospital.
In her autopsy report, assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster found that Mr O’Leary had sustained substantial head injuries as a result of his heavy fall back on to a concrete yard.
She attributed the cause of death to brain swelling and haemorrhage due to blunt force trauma to the head due to a fall in an elderly male on warfarin therapy – a drug he was taking to prevent blood clots that made him more prone to bleeding.
Mr Butler and his wife Ann, a niece of Mr O’Leary, paid tribute to the rapid response unit that responded to their emergency call.
“They were able to establish so much so quickly, we know he got the absolute best treatment,” Ms Butler said.
Dr Myra Cullinane returned a verdict of accidental death.