United States:A luxury social hall could be facing dozens of lawsuits after a New York Sligo association dinner was ruined by carbon monoxide poisoning.
At least 20 people were admitted to hospital and more continued to seek treatment yesterday after a severe carbon monoxide leak at the event in Leonard's social hall in Great Neck, Long Island, on Saturday night.
Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd said he suffered a "blinding, splitting headache" after the event and called for greater monitoring of carbon monoxide at social events in Ireland.
"It was a very, very frightening experience for everyone involved and shows just how dangerous carbon monoxide can be. It has convinced me of how quickly a serious problem can arise," he said.
Mr O'Dowd said he saw the president of the Sligo association, Bridie O'Reilly, being carried from the event at the same time as others around him began to feel ill. He didn't realise that carbon monoxide was responsible until a man in a white suit and hat checked the room with a carbon monoxide detector and told guests they had to leave. On his way upstairs he saw people who seemed to be very ill.
Later that night he felt a severe headache at the back of his head which became worse the next day. "I walked over 40 blocks just to clear my head but a lot of other people were worse off," he said.
Sligo TD John Perry, who had also been there, left to attend a Mayo association event and was not badly affected.
A senior member of the Sligo association said she was certain that some guests would be suing the social hall, which has admitted that a blocked air valve leading to the hall's boiler caused the poisoning.
Ms O'Reilly said she felt weak and had fainted at about 11.30 that night. "Once I collapsed, others realised something was seriously wrong." At a specialist unit in a Bronx hospital she was told her carbon monoxide levels were almost at fatal levels.
Irish Voicenews editor Debbie McGoldrick, who was honoured as Sligo woman of the year, said she hoped that people sued. Her seven-year-old daughter, Alana, had been feeling ill early in the night and had to be taken home.
A spokesman for Leonard's said he was satisfied that a blocked air valve was responsible and that staff were treated at the hall as a precautionary measure.
He said he could not comment on possible legal action.