Farm accident hasn't stopped my musical dream
After years of dedication, Stephen McKee's successful career as an Irish traditional tenor banjo player nearly ended abruptly due to an accident on his family's farm.
Stephen, 30, acknowledged that the accident occurred in a common scenario where he was not fully focused while repairing a tractor, resulting in his little finger becoming jammed in the machinery.
"When it first happened, I was obviously in shock but the first thing that came into my head was my music, because it is such a massive part of my life, I didn't know what I was going to do," he said.
In recent years, his music career has gained further recognition as one half of the popular Irish traditional music duo Chunky Business, alongside accordionist Gary Curley.
"I had come home from work and I went up the family farm to help out," Stephen explained.
"Being completely honest, I was in a rush and wasn't concentrating enough on what I was doing and that's when the accident happened."
Stephen was rushed to hospital, where doctors confirmed he had amputated 95% of his little finger, but fortunately, they were able to reattach it.
"I was very lucky as I could have lost my finger completely which would have been a disaster for playing music, but obviously I don't have full use of the finger still.
"I can't fully straighten it and don't have complete feeling it, and it's on my strumming and picking hand so I've had to slightly change the way I play."
'You can't be too careful'
Stephen is sharing his experience to raise awareness about the dangers of working on farms.
"I've learned a lot from this and I would just urge people to take their time and concentrate on what they're doing.
"The other thing is to wear protective equipment, I wasn't wearing gloves and in the hospital they spent hours getting out oil of my cut, so just protect yourself as much as you can."
"This could have ended my music career, thankfully things have worked out, and I can still play, but you can't be too careful when working on a farm."
Stephen's story coincides with new figures obtained by NI showing that between 2019 and 2025, there have been more than 150 farm-related accidents in Northern Ireland.
Most incidents involved men, with the majority occurring in the Mid Ulster and Newry Mourne and Down District council areas.
The Farm Safety Partnership recently launched a new advertising campaign aimed at reducing work-related deaths and injuries among older farmers in Northern Ireland.
The "Farm Wiser to Farm Longer" campaign encourages farmers to recognize that while experience and knowledge increase with age, so do the risks.
Richard Halleron, an experienced farmer, was involved in a serious farming accident last year.
The 67-year-old was tagging a calf when the incident occurred.
"I had set up a temporary pen in the corner of the field, and I was about to tag the calf when something spooked one of the cows.
"The cow then ran and hit the fence with an awful rattle and as that happened the calf lunged forward and took me with it."
"I can't describe the pain that went through my foot and my leg, I ended up with badly damaged tendons and ligaments and couldn't walk properly for six months."
Richard emphasized that the incident highlighted the importance of planning farm work, especially as farmers age.
"It's something I'm now mindful of, I'm looking towards 70 and my reaction times aren't what they use to be.
"I also didn't have anyone else with me that evening, so that's an important lesson. If you have a job to do, make sure there's someone with you to help you out in case something happens."
'Stop and think'
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) reports that over 40 farmers aged 60 and over have died in accidents during the past decade, with hundreds more injured, many seriously.
Dave Lowe, an inspector with HSENI, spoke to NI about the risks older farmers face.
"We recognise that older farmers have a great level of experience which is an advantage, but there are particular risks around reduced mobility and reduced reaction times.
"So with the recent campaign, we're just asking older farmers to focus on little things like taking a mobile phone with them, try not to work alone, but if they are tell somebody where they're going and make sure machines are maintained."
"Small changes can make a big difference, and we're not telling older farmers to stop doing what they love.
"We're asking them to stop and think about the ways they are working and changes they can make so they can keep being a valued member and contributing to the industry."
HSENI also notes that farm accidents are generally underreported and encourages the public to be more proactive in reporting such incidents.
