Hurling legend left with catastrophic injuries

A former Limerick hurling legend yesterday told how his life changed irreparably, due to catastrophic injuries, when he was mowed down by a burglar during a high-speed chase with gardaí.

Eric Ryan, aged 79, and two friends had gone to Parteen village on September 25 last year for a game of pitch and putt, when an out-of-control car driven by Michael Sheehan ploughed into them.

Three days beforehand, despite gardaí objections, Sheehan had been granted bail for burglary and stealing a car.

Limerick Circuit Court heard yesterday that Mr Ryan’s injuries resulted in him having a leg amputated above the knee. One of his friends, William Barry, a retired garda, was treated for bleeding to the brain.

Sheehan, aged 26, of 44 Cliona Park, Moyross, Limerick, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury to Mr Ryan, and to two counts of burglary.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Ryan said his life had changed in seconds.

As he lay on the ground with horrific injuries, Mr Ryan said his thoughts immediately turned to his wife Kitty, a stroke patient who suffers from dementia.

Up to that day, he had been his wife’s primary carer for years and was physically very strong. He could do up to 40 press-ups daily. As a result of the injuries, he had gone from being a 100% independent person to being totally dependent on others to take care of his wife.

September 25, 2014, he said, was the last day he would ever see the upstairs of his house, go out with friends for a game of pitch and putt, or take his grandchildren out to feed ducks.

His wife’s health had further declined and this had caused great changes.

Judge Tom O’Donnell adjourned sentencing to October 1. He said the victim impact statement was the most harrowing and profound he had come across.

Det Garda Ronan O’Reilly said Mr Ryan, from Corbally, Limerick and two friends had gone to nearby Browne’s bar for a drink, after playing pitch and putt. Returning to a car park, they heard a Garda car siren. The next thing, a car crashed into the men resulting in Mr Ryan suffering injuries which also included a fracture of the pelvis. He had been pinned under the car.

Sheehan got out and, as he ran off, jumped over Mr Ryan. One of the two men with Mr Ryan recently died, the court heard.