Leighlinbridge man killed in hunting accident last night

THE community of Leighlinbridge is in shock this morning after a young local man was fatally shot in a hunting accident last night.

The 21-year-old man was out hunting with a group of friends in the townsland of Farranafreney, just south of the village, when the accident happened at about 11pm. While the name of the deceased has not yet been released, it is known that he is from the Leighlinbridge area.

“The man was out hunting foxes, I believe, when he got caught in an accidental shot,” said cllr Michael Doran. “It’s an awful, desperate tragedy to have happened. We’re thinking of the family and friends of this young man. There’s a lot of shock and sadness in the village this morning. It’s an awful thing to have happened, especially at this time of the year. The community is very saddened here.” It's understood that the man died at the scene and that the gardaí closed the area off for a technical examination.

It's reported that a preliminary assessment indicated the incident was a tragic accident rather than a criminal investigation.

However, gardaí stressed the investigation is at an early stage.

More to follow…