Family of injured teen criticises Cork club

The family of a Cork teenager who sustained spinal injuries when she fell backwards off a flat roof in Kinsale at the weekend has labelled the nightclub where it happened “insensitive” for continuing their celebrations in the days after the incident.

Ciara O’Brien, who has just completed her Leaving Certificate at Kinsale Community College, was attending a party at The Moorings nightclub when the tragedy occurred.

The 18-year-old was on a flat roof at the side of the building in the early hours of Saturday morning when she fell and sustained serious spinal injuries.

She was rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment and was later transferred to the National Spinal Injuries Unit at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

Ciara’s aunt, Maria O’Mahony, said it was “business as normal” for The Moorings the next day as they held the second of two beach-themed parties on Saturday night.

“I know that some of the staff and a lot of the locals and family were probably upset about that,” she said, adding another serious incident happened that night in which another young woman broke her arm.

“I know the girl well. I haven’t spoken to her but she apparently avoided a bottle, a broken bottle on the ground, side-stepped to avoid a broken bottle, and fell and broke her arm and cut her arm off the broken bottle.”

An individual who works at The Moorings, who did not wish to be named, confirmed another incident did indeed happen on Saturday in which a young woman broke her arm.

So far, the Irish Examiner has been unable to contact the owner of The Moorings, Joseph Kenny, for comment, while the security company operating at the premises at the weekend said it was “company policy” not to comment on any incidents.

Currently, there is no update on Ciara’s condition — the young woman is being monitored in the spinal unit in the Mater Hospital and her family are hoping for the best.

“She’s heavily medicated for the pain that she’s in but she’s awake, in and out of sleep,” said her aunt, Ms O’Mahony.

“She does know what’s happened. She’ll just have to let her mind process the whole thing and the extent of what’s happened to her.

“But please God we’re positive and hopefully things will change but there’s no timeframe on anything so we’re just praying and playing the waiting game and hoping that it will change for her.”