A tourist who was struck by glass during a festival has told a court she expects to wear a prosthetic eye in the future.
Canadian resident Marie Gauvin (59) had returned to her native Birr, Co Offaly, on holidays last August when she was struck in the eye by glass.
She told a sitting of Tullamore Circuit Court that “the colour part of my eye was oozing out” after the incident which occurred during Birr Vintage Week on August 4th, 2013.
Gary Ward (20), Scurragh, Birr, has denied charges of assault causing harm, recklessly causing serious harm and production of an article at Keel’s Arch in Birr.
Counsel for the prosecution, Padraic Hogan, told the court that Ms Gauvin had “more or less completely lost the sight in her right eye”
He told the jury that a witness, Darragh Daly, would say Mr Ward had “started an argument with him” and as he walked away after a scuffle, he felt something strike his shoulder.
That version of events is denied “point blank” by the defendant, he said.
Ms Gauvin told the court she had travelled to Birr from Canada with her father and sister last August. "My father was asked to be the grand marshal of the parade," she said .
At about 10.30pm, she decided to go for a stroll around the town with her cousin where they met some relatives. They had heard a disturbance in Keel’s Arch and stepped inside when it started raining, she said. It was at this point she was struck by flying glass.
“I have never felt such impact. It was horrendous, it just smacked me straight-on in my eye,” Ms Gauvin recalled.
She attended hospital in Tullamore where “they said the damage was horrific and there was nothing they could do for me there”, she remarked.
Ms Gauvin was transferred to Dublin where her eye was stitched and she was treated for fractures to her eye socket and facial cuts. She still has two stitches in her eye.
“I will never see again, the damage is too horrific to be repaired. My eye keeps receding because of lack of use,” she said, adding: “Down the road in the future, they are talking about a prosthetic eye.”
The trial continues.