Stricken O’Sullivan left to wait for op

He may come from a legendary hurling family, but Paudie O’Sullivan’s stature in the GAA was little use to him this week as he waited for a Cork hospital operation on a broken leg.

The Cork attacker was on a trolley up to last night awaiting surgery at Cork University Hospital, having broken his shin in a local championship game on Tuesday. He was due to be operated on late last night, it is understood.

His brother, former Cork star Diarmuid O’Sullivan, tweeted yesterday: “i wonder if Paudie was an international player would he be left sit on a hospital trolley until tomorrow to have his op?? #nothappy”.

He added: “and its not only all about paudie, elderly people waiting longer than him ! #brokenhealthsystem”.

Paudie O’Sullivan broke his tibia and fibula in Carrigtwohill on Tuesday night in a Cork SHC game between his divisional side, Imokilly, and Cork IT. The match was abandoned due to the seriousness of the injury.

Comparisons were made yesterday between the case of O’Sullivan’s Cloyne clubmate Donal Óg Cusack, who snapped his achilles tendon playing for Cork last year in Thurles.

Cusack was taken immediately to the Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry, Dublin, which specialises in sports injury, and operated upon the following day.

However, it’s believed O’Sullivan’s injury was too severe for him to be moved to the Sports Surgery Clinic, and that he had to be brought to the nearest hospital.

The Cloyne club man is finishing his apprenticeship as an electrician but sources close to the family indicated last night that his prospects of completing his final block release are now slim.