Kerry County Council and pony driver sued by relatives of US couple killed in accident

The families of couple Rosalyn Joy Few, 64, and Normand Larose, 62, who died in a freak cart-horse tragedy in Co Kerry in 2018, have sued the Kerry County Council and the pony and trap driver over the accident. 

The families of Few and Larose have launched six High Court actions against the Kerry County Council and pony and trap driver Dan Casey, who was uninjured in the accident after jumping from the trap before it plunged into the ravine in April 2018.

The couple, who both lived in Phoenix, Arizona, had been visiting Few's daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren for the Easter holidays at the time of the accident. 

Few and Larose were in the first pony and trap, while Few's family traveled in two traps behind them. 

In all six High Court actions, it is claimed that the pony and trap lost control on a particularly treacherous stretch of roadway, causing the cart to tumble into a deep ravine. 

According to the Irish Times, all six actions also claim that there was a failure to have any policies, protocols, or procedures to ensure the safety of visitors at the Gap of Dunloe. 

The families also claim that there was a failure to ensure that the traps were fitted with adequate braking systems and other safety measures. 

The actions further claim that there was a failure to erect any barriers or warning signs to warn visitors of any danger on that stretch of roadway. 

Few's daughter Tonya Tier has filed one of the actions on behalf of her family for the death of her mother, while she has also sued for nervous shock. 

Her husband Bill Walther and her two children Gavin and Kaitlyn have also sued for nervous shock. 

Larose's brother Yvan has also sued on behalf of the Larose family in Canada for the death of Normand Larose. 

Tier and her family members claimed that they came across a scene of utter horror when Few and Larose's trap tumbled into the ravine, with each family member claiming that they suffered severe shock as a result. 

All of the claims are denied by the defendants. 

At an inquest in 2019, a six-person jury returned a verdict of accidental death after hearing more than three hours of evidence.