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Driver loses damages claim against former employer in Tuam
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A dump-truck driver has lost a 60 thousand euro damages claim against his former Tuam based employer.
Petru Muntian claimed he suffered a severe injury to his back after being told to lift heavy kerb stones onto his vehicle in March 2016.
34 year old married man Petru Muntian, with an address in Dublin but originally from Moldova, alleged he suffered an ‘excruciating injury’ on March 14th, 2016.
It was claimed he was directed by PJ Personnel of Tuam on that date to take his dumper to Sisk’s work yard in East Wall Dublin to collect kerb stones.
He alleged forklift drivers on the site refused to assist him and told him to lift the stones himself – leading to a back injury while he attempted to lift a stone weighing around 70kg.
He subsequently took legal action against PJ Personnel Limited of Tuam and John Sisk & Son Holdings of Clondalkin, Dublin 22 for 60 thousand euro in damages.
However, at the Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Mary O’ Malley said the court had been left with a ‘lot of confusion’ as to the cause and date of the accident.
She found the defendants had provided a safe system of work which had not been obeyed by Mr. Muntian and therefore she could not find any negligence on their part.
A forensic consultant engineer told the court that even an olympic weightlifter would have considered the ‘foolhardiness’ of lifting a 70kg kerbstone chest high.
According to the Irish Times, Judge O’ Malley also offered that she had not been provided with any evidence of the inability of the plaintiff to work.
She ultimately ruled that Mr. Muntian had come into court with an exaggerated and unsubstantiated claim and as a result, she had to dismiss it and award costs against him.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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