A 27-year-old garda’s county and inter-provincial camogie career ended following a head injury in a car-ramming incident, the High Court was told yesterday.
Garda Aoife Donohue of Waterford Garda station had been unable to return to representative sport because of her injury, the court heard.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine said Garda Donohue had suffered the equivalent of a two-year soft tissue injury and awarded her €25,000 damages for personal injury and €2,793 to cover special financial outlay.
Garda Donohue, in a Garda Compensation Claim before the court, said that, in June 2009, she had been an observer in an unmarked patrol car when an attempt had been
made to recover a stolen car.
The driver of the stolen car had slowed down but then rammed the Garda car from behind. She had struck her head against the pillar of the Garda car.
The court heard Garda Donohue had played camogie for her county, Laois, and also at inter-provincial level for Leinster.
While she was now able to play soccer, she had been unable to return to camogie and had “lost out” in not being to play at representative level.