A man in his 50s has been killed in a shooting at a farmhouse in Co. Cork last night (October 23).

The incident occurred at approximately 11:40pm last night in the Raleigh area – near Macroom, in the southern part of Co. Cork.

It is understood that the alert was raised when the middle-aged man who had been wounded telephoned a neighbour who then contacted An Garda Siochana.

A man in his 50s was being treated at the scene for an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said: “The body of the man remains at the scene and the Office of the State Pathologist will be notified.

“The services of the Garda Technical Bureau have also been requested. An incident room has been established at Macroom Garda Station.”

Investigations are ongoing and further updates will follow.

Farm Inspection Campaign

Earlier this month, an intensive farm inspection campaign was carried out with a special focus on working safely at heights.

Lasting for two weeks, both the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) will carry out inspections across the entire island.

Inspectors visited farms and ensured that farmers are carrying out work at heights safely. They also drew attention to information and guidance available from both the HSA and the HSENI.

A total of 21 people have been killed due to farm accidents on the island to date in 2018 – 16 in the Republic of Ireland and five in Northern Ireland. Of these, one fatal fall occurred in each jurisdiction.