A YOUNG MONAGHAN boy died from injuries suffered while he was driving a small, motorised farm vehicle that was “dangerously defective”, an inquest has heard.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court into the death of Finn McGrath (8) of Dunaree, Laragh, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, heard major defects were found with the steering and brakes of a Kawasaki Mule 3010 utility task vehicle (UTV) that was being driven by the young schoolboy on a farm on 29 July 2024.

The deceased, who was a pupil at Lisdoonan National School in Lisdoonan, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was brought by air ambulance to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street in Dublin where he passed away five days later on 3 August 2024.

The inquest heard Finn died as a result of complications of crush injuries to his chest when the vehicle weighing 748kg rolled over on top of him.

The coroner, Clare Keane, revealed that several of his organs – heart, liver and kidneys – were used to save the lives of four other children.

Finn’s mother, Caroline McGrath, who became visibly upset during the hearing, was not required to give evidence of formally identifying her son’s body to gardaí.

A public service vehicle inspector, Garda Kevin Jones, who examined the UTV, said the vehicle was “dangerously defective.”

He explained that it was unstable due to major issues with its steering, particularly when the wheels were turning a corner.

The inquest heard ridges on the steering system were worn which also reduced the effect of the vehicle’s four-wheel-drive mechanism.

Garda Jones said the defects dramatically increased the possibility of the vehicle rolling over.

He also found serious defects with the vehicle’s brakes with no braking on the front wheels as the brakes had been disconnected.

Garda Jones said neither seatbelt fixed to the vehicle was being worn at the time of the fatal incident.

In reply to questions from coroner Clare Keane, he said he believed the defects with the vehicle’s steering were a greater contributory factor in the fatal incident than the defects with the brakes.

In a written deposition, the deceased’s aunt, Shauneen Keenan, who lived in a mobile home on the farm, said she had seen the vehicle passing down the lane in front of her home.

Ms Keenan said her nephew was driving the UTV while it was also carrying two of Finn’s friends.

She said she was used to seeing Finn driving up and down the lane on the vehicle.

Ms Keenan said she was alerted a short time later by the other two boys who came running and crying to her to say that Finn was “stuck.”

The inquest heard she alerted emergency services after she ran up the lane to find her nephew on the ground trapped under a gate.

Sergeant Philip Smith said he understood the deceased boy had been driving the vehicle with two other boys when it seemed he lost control and the vehicle toppled over into a ditch.

He told the coroner that he believed that Finn was “driving for fun” and the vehicle was not being used for farm work.

Sergeant Smith admitted it was not clear what happened and if the deceased boy had stopped the vehicle to get out and open the gate.

He understood Finn had been driving the UTV since the previous Christmas.

Sergeant Smith confirmed that no criminal prosecutions had been directed by the DPP as a result of the fatal incident.

The inquest heard that paramedics who arrived at the scene found Finn in cardiac arrest with no heartbeat and a deformity to his chest.

While the exact circumstances of the fatal incident were not clear, Dr Keane said she would record a verdict of death by misadventure.

Offering her condolences to Finn’s mother, the coroner said: “Your heart is broken and I’m so sorry for what’s happened.”