South Dublin woman sues private school over hockey injury

A south Dublin young woman who suffered an ankle injury allegedly during hockey training has sued her former school for damages in the High Court.

Ailbhe Cole was a Leaving Cert student at the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny school, Killiney, Dublin when the incident happened three years ago while, she claims, she was training and playing hockey on a winter evening in near darkness after school.

Ms Cole (22), now studying pharmacology at UCD, said she and other students were playing hockey on a grit surface and there was no flood lighting. She had loved sport but since the accident has been unable to play any sport.

She also told Mr Justice Raymond Fullam she has been unable to wear high heels since the accident and had worn sparkly runners to her Debs after her Leaving Cert.

Ms Cole, O'Rourke Park, Salynoggin, Dublin has sued Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, Ballinclea Road, Killiney, as a result of the accident on November 19th, 2012.

She alleges failure to install sufficient lighting for the playing field and alleges hockey was allowed to be played in the absence of sufficient lighting. She also claims the ground around the kerb area of the pitch was slippery.

The claims are denied and the school pleads hockey training only occurred when light permitted.

New facilities

Opening the case, Paul Burns SC, for Ms Cole, said the school had since got new facilities and a pitch in 2014.

At the time of the incident, Ms Cole was a captain of the school hockey team and had gone after the ball when it went out of play, counsel said. After she had thrown the ball back onto the pitch, she slipped on a muddy surface with her ankle hitting the rim of the pitch.

Counsel said she suffered chronic injuries and later had to have surgery to have screws inserted in the ankle. She has been left with pain and poor balance and had to cancel plans to go out on her 18th birthday which occurred in the weeks after her fall, he said.

It was her case the hockey team was playing in near darkness, counsel said.

In evidence, Ms Cole said the ground was wet and the light was bad that evening.

She was devastated when she could not play sport anymore, she said.

In her evidence, hockey coach Stephanie Murphy said the school pitch at the time was shale and grit. In winter, the session would finish at 5pm and she was sure of that as it would be getting dark and would be unsafe, she said. She always put the safety of the players and students first, she added.

The case continues on Wednesday.