A member of a Co Donegal GAA club team whose jaw was broken during a match eight years ago yesterday began a legal action for damages against a member of the opposition team.
Mr Sean Connaughton (26), of Glenties, and player-secretary of the Robert Emmets club of Castlefin, is suing Mr John Ferry, of Rosheen, Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal.
In the High Court yesterday Mr Connaughton said he was 18 years old when playing for Robert Emmets against St Michael's, Dunfanaghy, on April 8th, 1989.
He was playing at right half forward and had scored three or four points and felt he was "playing well enough".
St Michael's had moved the player who had been marking him from the beginning of the game to another position, he said. Another man, whom he now knew as John Ferry, began to mark him 15 minutes into the second half.
Mr Connaughton said a ball came to him and he rounded John Ferry and passed the ball to one of his full forwards who scored.
The ball was kicked out and went down field towards the Robert Emmets goal, he said.
"The next thing, I was struck on the side of the head. The ball was about 90 to 100 yards away."
He said he fell to the ground and was "kind of confused". The game was stopped. He was conscious of bleeding from his nose and mouth. He continued to play but was in a confused state.
After the match he was taken to Letterkenny hospital where he had an operation for a fracture of the right cheek bone. He had nose bleeds which were continuing.
After the incident he had blurring of his right eye vision but that had now cleared. He had continued to play football after the incident.
Cross-examined by Mr Turlough O'Donnell SC, for Mr Ferry, who is denying all the claims, Mr Connaughton said Mr Ferry was one of two people on the St Michael's team wearing a No 7 shirt. The other player was in the forward line.
Mr O'Donnell said the referee would give evidence that he was following the ball and turned around, saw Mr Connaughton on the ground, noticed his eyes seemed "not right in some way" and was concerned. There were people from both teams around who were arguing. The referee considered removing Mr Connaughton from the pitch as being unfit to continue.
Mr Connaughton said he was on the ground and could not recall the events.
He said he did not recall a high ball and that he was among a number of players "going for the ball". The hearing continues today.