Rugby coach injured in Donegal crash

A rugby coach is still being treated in hospital for injuries sustained when a bus carrying an U14s rugby team overturned in Donegal on Saturday.

The crash happened on the R232 Laghey to Pettigo road at 2.50pm. The 21 school-children and five adults on board escaped serious injury when the bus overturned into a bog ditch.

Nine of the children belonging to the under 14s rugby squad from Carrickfergus Rugby Club and one of the adults, a coach, were treated in hospital after the single-vehicle crash.

The incident happened as the group was returning home after an Ulster Championship Cup game in which they defeated Donegal town in an under-14 tie.

Ambulances carried the victims from the accident on the road between Laghey and Pettigo to hospital in Enniskillen.

The coach, a teacher aged 40, was later transferred to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry for surgery to a leg injury.

He is likely to remain in hospital for a few more days but nobody else was detained.

Peter Lucey, club secretary, said: "It was a miracle escape. It could have been much worse. Fortunately, the children suffered mainly bumps and bruises."

He said there will be a meeting for parents on Monday night at the club.

Fire crews who attended the accident said the bus turned over onto its side in a ditch before they succeeded in turning it upright.