15-year-old’s tragic death marks the first farm fatality of 2018

According to emerging reports, a 15-year-old male, who has been named locally as Patrick McCormack, has died following an accident on a farm located on the Clare/ Tipperary border.

It is understood the incident occurred yesterday afternoon in Boulaglass, Newtown, when the Junior Cert student fell from a tractor on his uncle's farm.

The Health and Safety Authority confirmed that they were notified about the incident at approximately 4pm yesterday, and have launched a subsequent investigation.

The teen, who is originally from Co Tipperary, was a student of St Anne's Secondary School in Killaloe.

24 people died as a result of accidents on farms in 2017, which is an increase of 3 on 2016.