An English tourist has lost his High Court case for damages for injuries he says he suffered during a fall at Quin Abbey.
Pensioner Richard Byrne, from Flixton in Manchester, says he shattered his shoulder, elbow and wrist in a fall at the historic abbey in July of 2010 and had brought a case against the Office of Public Works.
However, the action was dismissed by Mr Justice Michael Moriarty, who said he took the decision with a ‘somewhat heavy heart’ as it would be wrong if the OPW were to be ‘needlessly dissuaded’ from providing public access to sites including Quin Abbey.
The judge insisted he had immense sympathy for Mr Byrne, but said he had not proven any liability on the part of the OPW.
He added that if a costs application was made for the two-day hearing he would allow expenses for only one day.
