Gormanston army plane crashed in Laytown
THE tragic circumstances under which Samuel Farrell, aged 77, a travelling showman of 3 Brabazon Row, Dublin, lost his life, were descrlbed at an inquest held at Laytown on Thursday evening.
He had been killed on the previous evening when an Army plane crashed into a caravan which deceased had just entered.
The inquest was held in the Cafe la Mer, with the following jury : Messrs. R. Crimmins, J. Devin, P. Levins, J. Hughes, R. Carter, P. Coogan, and D. Simco. Supt. J. Dunphy, Drogheda, represented the State.
William Guiler, Commons, Laytown, said the deceased was the proprietor of a travelling show, which had been coming to Laytown for years. He was a widower and lived alone. He, had come to Laytown a few weeks ago with two caravans, one on which he lived. On the day of the tragedy witness and deceased had taken a two-horse lorry to get a load of sticks and had returned at 6.45pm, halting the lorry about five yards from the wagon.
He then saw a plane coming from Gormanston direction, circling three times over Laytown.
The last time it circled it was about 15ft above the wagon. Farrell had gone into it and was about a yard inside it.
‘I was standing beside the wagon when I saw the plane fall. I gave a shout and turned back. The plane hit the wagon which split in two about the middle.’
It went up in flames and he saw an officer and a corporal in the plane and his son and another man pulling them out.
The body of the deceased was under part of the plane.
Dr Lynch, Stamullen said that with Dr Roche, Duleek, he examined the charred body.
The occupants of the plane were in hospital, severely injured.
The Coroner paid tribute to the promptness and efficiency of the local fire brigade. Commandt. M. Sheerln, of the Army Air Corps, said he would like to express his sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. He had learned of the efforts made by some civilians and a member of the Garda to relieve the two occupants of the plane. ‘ They acted with great heroism,’ he said.