‘I always remember the stillness of the day, there was no wind whatsoever’

ONE MAN who knows the lethal nature of slurry fumes all too well is Noel Tierney, a farmer from Miltown who was full-back on the Galway team, that won an All Ireland senior football three-in-a-row between 1964-66.

In 1993 Mr Tierney’s son, Fergal, died trying to save him after he himself was overcome by slurry gases on their farm in Miltown.

“On the day of the accident we were emptying a slatted tank under a calf shed. The tank had less than a metre of slurry in it – I’d say only around two foot deep. I noticed there was a crust on top and decided to give it a quick mix.

“There was one calf in the shed and Fergal went to the other end to let him out into a pen to avoid the fumes.

That’s the last I remember; I must have passed out with the fumes.

“I always assumed there would be some warning sign, that you’d feel a weakness, but I didn’t feel any weakness - just a blank memory. When I came around again, my wife told me that Fergal had tried to save me but he himself had been overcome with slurry fumes.

“Unfortunately he didn’t make it. Looking back now, I always remember the stillness of the day. There was no wind whatsoever. The biggest piece of advice I would give to farmers is to only agitate and spread slurry on a day when there is good air movement. Make sure to stand well clear when agitating to let the fumes disperse.”

*Watch Noel Tierney’s story online at the www. hsa.ie agricultural and forestry safety page.