Rugby player (18) seriously injured in head-on crash

The family of a rising sports player who is related to Irish and Munster rugby star John "Bull" Hayes are praying he will make a full recovery after sustaining critical injuries in a car crash this morning (Monday).

Daragh Fanning, whose mother is a first cousin of the former prop forward, was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick after the crash and placed in an induced coma.

The crash occurred at about 1am near Cappamore, Co Limerick, when Mr Fanning (18), who was driving the car, lost control and smashed into a wall.

No other car was involved, gardaí said.

Mr Fanning, who lines out with Bruff RFC, has played representative rugby for Munster and was a member of the Limerick minor hurling panel which reached the All-Ireland hurling final last year, but was defeated by Kilkenny.

‘Really concerned’

“We were really concerned about brain damage, but today he seems to be improving a lot. He’s responding to the stimulus the doctors are giving him as they try to bring him out of the coma,” a family spokesperson said.

“The doctors are less worried about damage to the brain, so we are very relieved. We hope he will be OK, but we don’t know everything yet.”

Mr Fanning, from Pallasgreen, is to undergo surgery on his face tomorrow (Tuesday) after both his jaws were broken in the head-on crash.

“He has severe damage to his jaws. They [doctors] are going to operate on him in the morning. As I said, we were all very worried about damage to his brain, but in the case of his jaws - broken bones can be fixed.

“We are hoping he will make a good recovery. His parents were shocked of course,” the spokesperson added.

Sgt Mick Divilly of Bruff Garda station has appealed for witnesses to the crash to contact gardaí on 061-382940.