A leisure centre manager and former Army corporal told the High Court yesterday that an explosion rocked his home 10 years ago, leaving a crack in the wall between his sitting room and kitchen which, due to lack of money, he has never been able to repair.
Mr Stephen McElhinney (41) and his wife, Jacqueline, of Rock Road, Bundoran, Co Donegal, are suing the owners of a quarry near their home, P. McCaffrey and Son Ltd, with registered offices at Ballintra, Co Donegal. They are also suing Irish Industrial Explosives Ltd.
The McElhinneys claim their home was damaged by explosives bought from Irish Industrial Explosives Ltd and used by the McCaffrey company at its Bundoran quarry. The defendants deny the claims.
Mr McElhinney told Mr Justice McCracken he bought their house in 1987 with a loan from Donegal County Council. He had gone to the Middle East with the Army on two trips to get the deposit.
The house was inspected by a council engineer. He was aware of quarrying operations and that explosions were carried out from time to time.
In March 1989 he was eating his dinner when a monstrous explosion lifted the table, hitting his elbow and knocking the cup out of his hand. The whole house shook.
Two days later he noticed that wallpaper had split apart and there was a big crack in the sitting room.
A builder friend told him about the severity of the damage and the cost of repairing it. Mr McElhinney said the cost frightened him as he had only just bought the house.
There was another explosion in May 1989 which was not as severe as that in March. Since then they could not light fires and used two Super Sers to heat the kitchen and a bedroom.
What happened had saddened him and made him irritable and sharp to his wife and children. The explosions continued after March 1989 for 15 months. The quarry had not been used since.
He and his wife had objected to planning permission to use the quarry. He said he suffered panic attacks, had seen a behavioural therapist and psychologist, and had been on medication.
The hearing continues today.