GARDAÍ IN Co Waterford are investigating an incident in which a man his 50s was shot in the stomach while walking in woods at Knockanure. He was named locally as John Michael Kelly from Coolbeggan, Tallow.
He was shot at about 1.15pm after walking past a blue SUV and managed to make his way 400-500m back to a roadway where he was discovered by a passerby.
Mr Kelly was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where his condition was last night described by a hospital spokeswoman as "stable" as he was being prepared to undergo emergency surgery.
Gardaí under Supt Tom O'Grady of Dungarvan Garda station have appealed to anyone who may have seen a blue SUV in the west Waterford/east Cork area to contact them at Dungarvan on 058-48600.
Gardaí said last night they were not aware of any possible motive for the shooting. A senior Garda source said they had not ruled out the possibility that Mr Kelly may have been shot accidentally by someone out shooting game and that they may have panicked and left the scene.
Although gardaí spoke briefly to Mr Kelly before he was due to undergo surgery, officers are hoping to be given the go-ahead by doctors in the coming days to speak to him at more length. Gardaí hope ballistics experts will be able to examine the bullet removed from his body and establish the make of rifle.
A large number of gardaí were last night combing the woodlands retracing Mr Kelly's movement from the roadway into the woodland in the hope of identifying where exactly he had been shot.
Mr Kelly, who works as a postman and also has a small farm near where he was shot, is well known in Waterford GAA circles, being a member of the Shamrocks club in west Waterford and officiating as a referee at club championships games in the county.
