Man landed on woman in club, court hears

A heavy young man launched himself from the balcony of a crowded Kerry nightclub landing on a young nurse on the dance floor below, a court heard.

Geraldine Mulvihill, aged 29, Glin, Co Limerick, is suing Liam O’Flaherty Ltd, owners of the Mermaids Night Club in Listowel for injuries she received.

Mr O’Flaherty is a former Kerry footballer.

Opening the case for the plaintiff at the High Court sitting in Limerick, counsel Gerry Tynan said it was one of the most extraordinary incidents he had ever come across. Mr Tynan said Ms Mulvihill sustained head and neck injuries and was shocked and distressed when a large young man launched himself onto the dancefloor from the balcony.

Mr Tynan said what had occurred was unbelievable and there must have been manifest total lack of supervision and management of the premises.

He said a netting had been placed under the balcony over the dance floor, but this would not have been sufficient to hold a person who had come over the balcony.

Mr Tynan said one gentleman climbed onto the balcony and decided for some reason to launch himself onto the people below.

Ms Mulvihill, a mental health nurse, said she had gone with friends to the club on the night of June 3/4, 2012. She was on the edge of the dancefloor at 1.30am when somebody fell on her. She felt pain to her head and neck and she was disoriented.

She had to give up cycling and running as she was in pain anytime she turned her head. After a night out she still gets back pain and has had physiotherapy.

Mairead O’Connell said she was near Ms Mulvihill. She looked up and saw netting coming down and somebody was in the netting. Ms Mulvhill was knocked to the ground. She said somebody said the man who came down through the netting had run off.

The case continues.