Court hears of parents’ despair at loss of ‘sports mad’ only son

A MOTHER sobbed quietly in a courtroom yesterday as her husband recalled the horror moment when an A&E doctor told him their only son had died from injuries received in a soccer camp accident.

Patrick Fitzgerald told the High Court sitting in Limerick: “It was like somebody had sucked the entire life from my body. I felt helpless, my wife was inconsolable.”

Andrew Fitzgerald, 10, died after a goalpost fell on him at a summer soccer camp organised near their home in Grange, Bruff, by the local Holy Cross club in August 2005.

Mr Fitzgerald said his son was a sports mad boy and their home was a shrine of trophies he won at soccer and rugby. He said Andrew was their only child and his wife could have no more children.

He told Mr Justice John Edwards: “Our life is destroyed. It will never be the same again for us.”

Their whole life revolved around Andrew who was a Man United fanatic and whose sporting hero was Brendan Cummins, the Tipperary hurling goalkeeper.

Mr Fitzgerald, 39, said he is seeing a psychologist who is trying to get him to move on in his life.

“I can’t move on. I can’t find any place to start from to move,” he added.

Mr Fitzgerald is suing the FAI and Michael Barry, trustee of Holy Cross soccer club. He claims loss of earnings as post-traumatic stress has prevented him working shifts and overtime at Ballygowan in Newcastle West as he wants to be at home with his wife at night.

He told the court he will not be able to continue in his highly skilled job as an industrial technician due to changes in shifts and his inability to concentrate.

He is seeking a less stressful job as storeman at Ballygowan, which will mean a drop of €20,000 a year in earnings.

He said Andrew was a sports mad boy who never stopped and he cannot get him out of his mind.

Mr Fitzgerald said the tragedy had affected their marriage and he can only get snatches of a few hours sleep at night. Miriam spends most of her time at home, he said.

They visit Andrew’s grave three times a week, but he has never gone to the field near their home where the accident happened.

The court heard there were well-publicised precautions on the use of goalposts. On hearing her son was injured, Miriam Fitzgerald rushed to the soccer field and tried to revive her son with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Mr Fitzgerald said: “It should never have happened. The goalposts should have been pinned down; it was a no-brainer. And then the audacity of the FAI to stop the health and safety authorities going to the field.”

He said a politician took up their request to have an Oireachtas report on goalpost safety brought out to help prevent further such accidents.

Liability is admitted and the case is to assess damages.

The FAI settled with Ms Fitzgerald for undisclosed damages when she brought a similar action at the High Court in Limerick last February.