‘I lost an inch of my height’: GAA star’s horrific injuries after collision in Limerick

KERRY footballer Seán O’Leary and his girlfriend Emma O’Connor were driving near Abbeyfeale after the Munster final on July 10, 2021 when their lives were changed irrevocably.

Seán O’Leary, an All-Ireland minor winner, suffered “incalculable” physical injuries to his legs, fracture to his sternum, and suffers from PTSD following a head-on collision. Mr O'Leary - who was a 22-year-old UL student at the time - could see the white bone of his right femur sticking out through his Kerry GAA tracksuit.

In November 2024, Michael Harty, aged 22, of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell was jailed for three years and disqualified from driving for 10 years at Limerick Circuit Court.

Mr Harty had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm but was found guilty following a trial.

“It is a very grave case where serious harm was caused,” said Judge Sinead McMullan.

Mr O’Leary spoke to RTE’s Joan O’Sullivan on Morning Ireland this Friday as the Road Safety Authority say there's been an increase in serious injuries among young drivers aged 17 to 25 since 2020. Almost a third suffer serious injuries if they're involved in a crash, more than any other age group, and those injuries can be life-changing.

Mr O’Leary said his girlfriend was driving and he was in the passenger seat as they were approaching a bend on a wide road near Abbeyfeale.

“All of a sudden, a car began to overtake another car around the bend. The collision happened on the hard shoulder of our side of the road. We had absolutely no time to react. I can still see the lights coming straight towards us. The whole thing happened in less than 10 seconds, if even.

“My girlfriend was able to avoid the head-on collision at the last second. I got hit in the passenger side. The impact was fair-fairly ferocious. I was immediately knocked unconscious for I think maybe 15 / 20 minutes,” said Mr O’Leary.

Thankfully Ms O’Connor was able to get out of the car and call the emergency services.

“It was fairly grim. She (Ms O’Connor) had probably thought I was dead in the passenger seat. I was very lucky that the car didn't go on fire. I started to regain consciousness inside the car and I still can’t describe the pain that I was going through.

“It was pitch black. I was trapped so I was cut out of the car by the fire crew. They lit up their lights around the car and I could see how severely damaged I was. My right femur bone was hanging out through my leg. At that stage, I thought I was paralysed as I'd lost all feeling in my toes. My parents were called to the scene. I remember seeing their faces and seeing their expressions…”

Mr O’Learywas rushed to Tralee General Hospital where he had to be resuscitated.

He had broken his right femur, left femur, right tibia, sternum was broken and suffered a very bad hand injury from the glass.

“It was very nerve-damaged and I had a head concussion also. Obviously, I'd lost a lot of blood from the open wound femur fracture. I think I had eight blood transfusions over the following few days.”

The talented footballer, who had a big future ahead of him in the green and gold, underwent major surgery. Metal rods were inserted into both his femurs and also into his lower right leg.

“I have about 126cms of titanium rods in my legs and I will have them for the rest of my life. I left ICU after about two-and-a-half weeks. I was brought home in a wheelchair which obviously had its own complications for everyone involved.

“I'd lost all independence. I couldn't wash myself. My parents had to take time off work. That's when the psychological trauma started to kind of really kick in, and the PTSD and everything started emerging - that was kind of fairly horrific in its own right.”

Unfortunately Mr O’Leary’s left femur had shortened an inch due to the fractures so he had to go back into the operation theatre, have the rods taken out and take an inch of bone out of the right femur.

“I lost an inch of my height and the nerve pain that came from that then was was shocking,” he said.

Mr O’Leary was asked about the young male driver of the other car who was jailed.

“We were living with the consequences of his actions, and we felt that he deserved consequences for his actions. I think that's really important for people across the country. If they do commit these offences they have to face punishment for it because they’re ruining lives.

“I think that that driver had a previous pretty serious road traffic offence. They might say, I got lucky that time’ but didn't get lucky the second time, and unfortunately it was a very, very serious collision. They definitely need to face punishment for it,” said Mr O’Leary at the end of the interview with Ms O’Sullivan.

Mr Harty’s previous conviction was for driving at 168kms in a 100km zone at Monearla, Adare.

An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority are appealing to all road users to stay safe this October bank holiday weekend.

A Garda Roads Policing operation is taking place throughout the country until Tuesday.