This article is from page 82 of the 2008-06-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 82 JPG
THE family of one of the three young men who drowned in Doolin after a jeep they were travelling in went over a cliff has been awarded €35,000 in compensation.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Rory McCabe approved the payment to the Griffin family from Ennis, aris- ing out of the tragedy.
Martin Griffin (24) from Ennis, Joe O’Callaghan (34) from Tulla and Waterford native Mick Doran (31), who lived in Broadford, disappeared after a night out in Doolin, on Octo- ber 31, 2005.
Their bodies, and the Suzuki Vi- tara jeep in which they were travel- ling, were subsequently found in the
local area following a major search operation which lasted 11 days.
Barrister Pat Whyms told the court WOTcLMU SLoMOCCHKCIOCOE-DOL RMD MNOS oMOr Kool Ke the owner and driver of the vehicle. He said the driver of the jeep, Joe O’Callaghan, was also killed in the accident while his father Sean, who owned the vehicle, had since died.
The case was taken against their personal representatives, under the Civil Liability Act.
Mr Whyms said that €35,000, which was the maximum, was agreed, plus costs, and would be di- vided equally between Mr Griffin’s father John Joe (60) and Martin’s four siblings, Michael, Denis, Mau- reen and Mairéad.
The court was told that as Denis is
just 13 years of age, his money would be lodged to the court.
According to papers lodged to the court, it stated that the death of Mr Griffin was “caused by the negli- gence and breach of duty of the late Joseph O’Callaghan, who died in the same accident”.
It said the vehicle was driven to a “particularly dangerous location’, a dirt road, running along the top of a cliff at Doolin.
“As aresult of inadequacies, in the driving and/or management and/or control of the said vehicle, the said vehicle was caused to fall over the said cliff resulting in the deaths of Martin Griffin, Joseph O’Callaghan and one other passenger,” added the papers.