This article is from page 4 of the 2008-02-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
SUNGIS LOM M Someta cmolcc rm eeliiunitcani cee Ruan’s Gerry Daffy who lost his life tragically on his farm in Lismugna last week. Mr Daffy, who was laid to rest in the New Ruan Cemetery on Sunday, has been hailed as a selfless community volunteer who will be a “tragic loss” for the area.
Mr Daffy, who is survived by his wife Annette and daughters Ciara and Aoife, died when his tractor rolled towards him while he was feeding cattle on his farm in Ruan on Thurs- day evening.
“The hallmark of Gerry Daffy in the community is that he was al- ways willing to help others, even to the detriment of his own work,” said
neighbour and friend, Cllr Joe Arkins Cal G}
“He is a tragic loss to his family and to the whole community. It brings it back to mind that farming can be a very dangerous occupation and this freak accident has brought that back to the whole community out here.
“Gerry was a man who was very talented, both in farming and in
building, whatever he set his mind to he could do it.”
This is the second tragedy to strike the Daffy family in recent years. It follows the death of Gerry’s sister, Maura Daffy (54), in a road traffic accident in Clarecastle in 2005.
A keen sportsman, Gerry’s farm was home to Ennis soccer clubs Av- enue United from 1995 to 2004 and Lifford FC from 1998 to 2006.
This incident has highlighted the dangers that exist on all farms, with 11 people dying in farm accidents in Ireland in 2006 and 18 in 2005.
The chairwoman of the IFA’s Na- tional Farm Family Committee, Mary Sherry, has urged Clare farmers to remain vigilant and take the time to assess the potential dangers.
“We all know that farms are dan- gerous places. Farmers can be work- ing alone, working under pressure and working in a hurry.
“People need to be reminded of the potential for accidents all the time,” she told