An 11-year-old boy who was stabbed in a north Dublin school earlier this month will be the guest of honour for Ireland’s game against Senegal at the Aviva stadium in June.
Mason Geraghty was rushed to hospital after being stabbed at the national school on March 4th. Gardaí described his injuries at the time as serious but not life-threatening.
Mason linked up with the men’s senior national team in Dublin on Tuesday during their training session.
In a video posted on social media by the FAI, Mason and his brother are welcomed by Ireland defender Nathan Collins who tells him he is a “good, strong boy”.
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Collins presented him with a signed Ireland jersey ahead of their clash with Bulgaria on Thursday.
“11-year-old Mason from Finglas joined us at training today as he continues his recovery from being stabbed earlier this month,” the FAI said.
“Mason has shown tremendous bravery & will be our guest of honour for the Senegal match at the Aviva Stadium in June. We’re all with you, Mason!”
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In an interview with Virgin Media earlier this month, Mason’s father Stephen Geraghty said it was “a miracle” that his son had survived.
Mr Geraghty said the knife missed one of his son Mason’s arteries by a couple of centimetres. He said he was told his son had a 50/50 chance of survival when he reached the hospital.
“I thought I was saying goodbye,” Mr Geraghty added. However, he said the boy has since made significant progress.
He also expressed concern that no-one would be held accountable for the stabbing. The age of criminal responsibility in the Republic - apart from in cases of homicides and the most serious sexual crimes - is 12.
