The alarm was raised at 3.45pm on Thursday and gardaí said they attended the scene at a house in Shinrone, Co Offaly.

The man was airlifted to Tallaght hospital with serious injuries and later transferred to Beaumont hospital.

The child suffered less serious injuries and was taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore.

Gardaí have contacted the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to investigate the accident.

Falls from heights will be the focus of a campaign of 600 HSA inspections on farms in October. Machinery accidents cause clost to half of farm fatalities and this was highlighted again at a quality assurance and farm safety open day in Co Wexford this Thursday.

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