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A lorry carrying a load of chickens overturned today, spilling them across a busy main road.

Firefighters, gardai and locals were busy collecting chickens off of the road after the truck, which was en route to Carlow from Cappoquinn Chickens in West Waterford, overturned and displaced hundreds of chickens at the Waterford City bypass.

The driver, described as a man in his 50s, was taken to University Hospital Waterford where he was treated for a nasty gash to his head.

His injury was described as not life threatening.

Former Irish Naval Service officer and current Waterford councillor Eddie Mulligan was leaving the city on his way to a meeting in Carlow at about 3.25pm when a lorry overturned as it left a roundabout ahead of him on the bypass.

He saw the truck as it "impacted" the median before overturning.

He said: "As I was coming out of the roundabout at the very start of the Waterford to Dublin motorway, an articulated truck overturned and missed a BMW that kept on going."

Cllr Mulligan, who is the Commanding Officer of the Irish Naval Reserves in Waterford and a former diving officer and navigator in the Irish Naval Service, stopped at the scene along with some others.

While one driver called the emergency services, Cllr Mulligan ran for his first aid kit and treated the truck driver.

He added: "He had a head injury. I got him to a safe place on the bank and ran and got the First Aid kit in the car.

"I am first aid trained from my days in the Defence Forces.

“I handed over [the casualty] to paramedic John Tierney. I suppose it was just an accident and I was in the right place at the right time."

The welfare of the chickens is unknown but it is understood that some were killed while others were trapped in their containers pending the arrival of the emergency services.

The M9 remained closed in both directions between Junction 11 at Mullinavat and Junction 12 at Grannagh during the incident.

Waterford City Fire Service also responded to the scene.

Gardai are investigating and anyone with information can contact them in Waterford on 051 305 300.