Tributes have been paid to a young camogie player who died after sustaining a head injury at a match in Co Galway on Monday.
Kate Moran, aged in her early 20s, died following the injury picked up in a collision during a club match between Athenry and Ardrahan.
Emergency services rushed to Ardrahan in south Co Galway to treat the player following the incident during the league game on Monday. The game was abandoned as medical crews from three ambulances treated the player.
She was taken to University Hospital Galway where she was pronounced dead early on Tuesday.
The death of the young player has stunned the Athenry region and the sporting community in Galway.
Ms Moran was a member of Athenry Camogie Club and she represented Galway Camogie at an underage level, winning two Under 16 All-Ireland titles.
Prayers were offered for the injured player at a special Mass in Athenry on Tuesday morning.
In a statement on social media, Athenry Camogie Club said it was “deeply saddened” by Ms Moran’s death.
“This is a terrible tragedy for her family, our club and our community. Our sympathy and thoughts are with the Moran family and friends. Kate will be greatly missed by all who knew her.”
Ms Moran was a “tremendous role model” for younger players, and her bubbly personality “will be remembered for eternity”, the statement went on. The club said Ms Moran’s family had requested privacy.
Leader
In an online post, Galway Camogie Board said Ms Moran was a “role model and leader both on and off the field”. It expressed heartfelt and deepest condolences to her family, friends and clubmates.
Athenry councillor Shelly Herterich Quinn described a sense of devastation felt throughout the community. The woman’s father is a well-known local auctioneer.
“We are very shocked and very saddened… It is unthinkable, really,” she said.
Independent councillor Gabriel Cronnelly said the whole community was “absolutely devastated”.
“There is a numbness around Athenry, and that is putting it mildly,” he said.
Tributes poured in from neighbouring GAA clubs, with Oranmore Maree Club offering its deepest sympathies to the woman’s family and to all of the members of her camogie club.
The “far-reaching tragedy” has left the entire camogie community “absolutely heartbroken”, the club said in an online post.
“Galway camogie clubs woke up to devastating news this morning with the passing of a beautiful young Athenry camogie player,” it said.
As a mark of respect to Ms Moran and her family, Galway Camogie was postponing all games scheduled for this week.