Woman hurt in fairground accident
A woman was in serious condition in hospital today after she and a teenage girl were thrown from a high-speed funfair ride.
The freak accident happened shortly after 8pm yesterday in Blanchardstown, north Dublin.
The 28-year-old woman is in a critical but stable condition in James Connolly Memorial Hospital, health authorities said, although there is no information on the extent of her injuries.
A 13-year-old girl also thrown from the ride was taken to Temple Street Hospital but has since been released.
Gardaí and Fingal County Council have launched separate investigations into the accident.
The Funfest carnival runs in the north Dublin suburb annually and yesterday was the final night of the week-long show this year.
It is understood to be operated by a Co Kildare-based company.
The ride is thought to be a Waltzer, which is made up of a number of cars that spin individually while rotating around a central point.
Gardaí and the emergency services arrived on the scene shortly after the incident.
The ride was closed down and officers remained on site throughout the night.
A Fingal County Council spokeswoman said the ride had been checked by a safety inspector prior to the carnival’s opening.
“The funfair was operated by Funfest Ltd, who have operated at this location since 2004 when they were awarded the tender to provide a fairground attraction from Fingal County Council,” she said.
“As part of the operating permission, Funfest is required to provide valid safety certification for all equipment prior to setting up the fairground.
“The council is satisfied that the safety certificate for the equipment in question is valid.”
She went on: “An inspector authorised by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government checked all structural, electrical and mechanical equipment, and the site layout, before the funfair opened to the public from September 6 to September 17.
“Following from the incident last night, the piece of equipment involved in the incident will remain on the site until it has been examined by investigating bodies.”
