The south-east Clare community of Cratloe was in mourning yesterday following the freak death of hurler Mr Michael Murphy (18) during an under21 hurling match on Saturday afternoon at Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Mr Murphy collapsed minutes into the second half after being struck by a hurley on the neck as he tried to hook an attempted clearance.
According to Cratloe club member Mr Jim Enright, who witnessed the incident during the championship tie between Cratloe and Ballyea: "It was a freak accident and the whole community is in a state of shock."
A family friend confirmed last night that initial results from the post-mortem, carried out at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick yesterday, showed Mr Murphy died of a brain haemorrhage.
Mr Enright described how players from both sides broke down and wept as the seriousness of Mr Murphy's condition became apparent. A nurse who was watching the game first tended to him.
Shortly after a local doctor arrived and an ambulance removed him to Ennis General Hospital. However, all efforts to revive Mr Murphy failed and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Mr Murphy was in his first year of a business studies course at the Limerick Institute of Technology and worked part-time at the well-known Setright's Tavern pub in Cratloe.
All GAA club fixtures in Clare were called off yesterday as a mark of respect.
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