Farmers are not invulnerable and have to pace themselves – this was the message of Aidan O’Neill following the death of his 75-year-old father, Peter, on his farm in Carrickmore, Co. Tyrone earlier this month, according to local publication The Tyrone Constitution.
Aidan reportedly said that the family was “overwhelmed” by the support given by the local community following the tragedy.
Peter O’Neill was killed in an accident involving a Kubota utility vehicle (a type of quad or all-terrain vehicle), his son purportedly confirmed.
Aidan stated that his father, who was a beef farmer, had been in “excellent health” and was expected to “continue working for years”.
He reportedly said that his family had previously made efforts to get his father to “slow down a little” and “keep fewer cattle”, but Peter had refused to “take things easier” – a trait shared by many of his generation.
Such men believe nothing would happen to them and that they can keep going forever, Aidan allegedly added, noting that they sometimes did not realise that old age was slowing them down.
The deceased’s son praised the support given to his family, commenting on the huge numbers of the farming community who had come out to offer help and condolences following his father’s death.
He purportedly noted that it was striking how so many knew exactly how the family felt, because they had been in similar situations themselves.
