This article is from page 9 of the 2011-11-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
A YOUNG Kilmihil footballer is continuing to recover in hospital in Portugal having been involved in a serious accident while on holidays.
35-year-old Declan O’Shea remains in a serious condition in hospital after the accident more than a fortnight ago. He fell from a third-storey balcony at an apartment last month and was taken to hospital in Faro. He was later airlifted to a hospital in Lisbon, where his family has travelled from Kilmihil to be by his bedside.
Mr O’Shea, who is married, was attending a rally with two friends in Portugal when the freak accident occurred. He remains in hospital and his condition has not changed, according to sources.
The local community in Kilmihil is rallying around the O’Shea family, as they pray for Declan’s recovery.
“His progress is being monitored by the hospital,” said a source, who added that the support of the people of Kilmihil has been huge.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, a huge crowd attended Mass for him in Kilmihil, which was celebrated by local parish priest Fr Peter O’Loughlin.
Declan is a full-back on the Kilmihil senior football team. He won a Senior ‘B’ county championship medal with his club two years ago. He has represented Clare in football at minor and under-21 levels. He has worked as a mechanic in Kilrush in recent times, having spent some time living in Australia a number of years ago.
He is a son of Oliver and Doris O’Shea, from Lack West, Kilmihil.