IFA leader in hospital after breaking leg in quad bike fall

The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr John Dillon, was in hospital in Limerick last night after breaking his left leg in an accident on a a quad bike on his farm.

Mr Dillon underwent a five-hour operation on his leg at Limerick Regional Hospital yesterday morning.

A spokesman for the IFA told The Irish Times last night that the accident occurred at about 7 p.m. on Saturday when Mr Dillon was working on his farm at Killuragh, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick.

He said that the quad bike, which Mr Dillon was using while doing farm work, rolled on top of him.

The spokesman said that the IFA president was taken to hospital in Limerick where he underwent lengthy surgery yesterday morning. Mr Dillon had suffered "a serious break" to his left leg.

It is understood that he broke two bones in his leg.

Mr Dillon has been president of the IFA since 2002.

He held a number of high-ranking positions in the organisation before being elected to the presidency.

Quad bikes, which are four-wheeled, all-terrain motorcycles, have become commonplace on Irish farms in recent years and are used for many purposes, including herding cattle and checking on sheep during lambing.

They are also used by ESB staff to inspect power lines and poles.

Last December the heavy metal singer, Ozzy Osbourne, was almost killed when riding a quad bike without a helmet.

He fractured eight ribs and a neck vertebra, broke his collarbone and sustained blood vessel damage.

In 1998 the comedian Rik Mayall spent five days in a coma after a quad bike rolled on top of him.

Last April a seven-year-old girl in Co Antrim was killed in a quad bike accident.

In Britain the Health and Safety Authority estimates that around 1,000 people are seriously injured in accidents involving quad bikes each year.