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Two of the three men injured in an incident at a cattle mart in Co Clare on Thursday were still being treated in hospital on Friday.
The incident happened at around 10am in the cattle loading and off-loading area at Ennis Mart where several blood-soaked bandages could still be seen strew on the ground on Friday.
An inspector from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) visited the scene as part of their investigation into the incident.
Two ambulances responded to the incident and all three men were treated at the scene before being removed to hospital. One man has since been discharged while two are still undergoing treatment.
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According to witnesses, the men were attacked by a bull and one of the injured was thrown into the air. It’s understood one of the men was a farmer in his 70s.
One farmer said: “I saw a man on the ground with a collar on him and a bandage around his head. There was a lot of blood and they (paramedics) spent a while treating him before he was taken off on a stretcher.”
“You’d often get an animal kicking off in the pens or a truck but you’d rarely see anyone getting hurt. There are lots of signs around the place warning about animals being dangerous. You have to be very careful because you just don’t know,” he said.
Blood-soaked bandages
The HSA confirmed they have commenced a formal investigation into the matter and that an inspector visited the scene on Friday.
The area where the incident happened is well signposted warnings farmers of the dangers of handling livestock.
Blood-soaked bandages were left on the ground outside a pen at the rear of the mart complex.
A spokesman for Clare Marts confirmed: “An incident took place in the Ennis Mart on Thursday May 25th at the point of intake of animals. Three men were injured and taken to hospital. All agencies were notified of the incident.”
It’s understood the bull at the centre of the incident was later destroyed.
In 2011, an agitated cow knocked down a garda and three members of the public after escaping from Ennis Mart.
The agitated animal raced along the Quin Road towards Ennis town centre. At a roundabout a short distance away, several members of the public prevented the cow from travelling up Station Road which would have led her straight into the centre of Ennis. Instead, the animal dashed up Clon Road on the outskirts of the town knocked over a garda.
The animal was eventually herded back to the mart where, after running wild for several more minutes, was guided into a nearby field by a large group of farmers. It transpired that the cow had earlier lost a calf.