A MAN has been arrested in San Francisco in connection with an assault which left an Irish footballer in a coma.
Mark McGovern (22), from Belcoo, Co Fermanagh, sustained serious head injuries in an off-the-ball incident during a Gaelic football game on June 25th in Treasure Island, San Francisco. He was in a coma for more than a month but is now rehabilitating.
Pat Power (26), a member of the Celtics Gaelic football team, was arrested yesterday. According to police spokesman Albie Esparza, Mr Power has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
Lieut Troy Dangerfield of the San Francisco Police Department told a US television station the arrest came following a number of statements from witnesses.
The same player last week received a 96-week suspension from the San Francisco GAA competition control committee.
Mr McGovern had arrived in the US five days before the incident, where he was to work for the summer and play with local GAA club Ulster San Francisco.
A spokeswoman for Fermanagh GAA said Mr McGovern was progressing well and that it was hoped he would make a full recovery. He had been undergoing intense rehabilitation for more than a month.
The spokeswoman extended her thanks to the GAA for allowing fundraising collections to take place at last week’s All-Ireland senior hurling final and next week’s All-Ireland football final.
She said Mr McGovern’s medical bills had amounted to more than $1 million (€730,000).
The McGovern family travelled to San Francisco after the attack and have been at his side ever since. In a statement, they said they were pleased to hear the city of San Francisco was seeking justice for Mr McGovern.
“There is no place for this sort of conduct in sports and hopefully this will set an example and prevent others from being injured like our Mark,” they said.
Every year an estimated 400 Irish players with J1 student visas receive sanctions to transfer temporarily to a North American GAA club for the summer period.
Mr McGovern, who is on the fringes of the Fermanagh senior county side, lined out for the county in this year’s Dr McKenna Cup.
