Dunleer man Peter Carron plays part in mill rescue

Sept 1972

THREE Drogheda workers had a miraculous escape from injury when the top floor of a grain store collapsed at Bachelor’s Lane yesterday ( Wednesday) afternoon.

They were rescued by Drogheda fire brigade who broke through a blocked up window on the third floor of the four-storey stone building, which is leased by the Drogheda Oatmeal Milling Co., to take them to safety by ladder.

The workers were Peter Dunne, 399 Finian’s Park ; Noel Black, 6 St. Joseph’s Terrace, Mell, and Paddy Clarke, 47 Francis Street. About 300 tons of oats were stored in the building at the time.

“We were up on the top floor shovelling when all of a sudden the floor went. I managed to catch hold of a rafter or something and hang on” said Mr. Dunne. Noel Black saved himself in the same way: “I fell down two floors with the grain but reached out and grabbed a bar,” he said.

Mr Clarke said he was at the top of the building and managed to stop himself from falling.

The alarm was raised by Peter Carron, Mountainstown, Dunleer, who was discharging a load of grain. He alerted the’fire brigade who were quickly on the scene.