GAA club to pay girl €100k

A 15-YEAR-OLD girl has been awarded €100,000 against Carrigaline GAA club for an accident that saw her lose part of her finger when she jumped from the top of a fence onto the sideline when she was six years old.

Yvonne Drake brought the case against the club through her father, Ken Drake, of Heatherfield Lawn, Carrigaline, Co Cork.

Mr Justice Paul Butler approved the settlement offer made on behalf of Carrigaline GAA club at the High Court sitting in Cork.

Lorraine O’Sullivan SC, for the plaintiff, told Mr Justice Butler: “Her brother was playing a match. Her mum and herself were waiting for the match to finish. Yvonne was climbing in the area, she stood on a piece of wire and jumped down.

“Unfortunately, Yvonne had a ring on her finger and the ring got caught.”

Ms O’Sullivan said she would have been concerned about proving liability against the club if the case had gone to trial. Mr Justice Butler responded: “I can imagine… you would probably end up with zero.”

Ms O’Sullivan said the conclusion drawn from the engineer’s report on the matter was that it was a freak accident.

The judge asked: “What case are you trying to make against the GAA?” Ms O’Sullivan replied: “That the fence should not have been in the condition that it was.”

The €100,000 settlement offer will be lodged in court until Ms Drake becomes 18. Ms O’Sullivan said the plaintiff lost part of her left ring finger in the accident and now has a prosthesis.