Latest news with #CorkCoroner'sCourt
The Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Irish jockey Michael O'Sullivan's cause of death confirmed as inquest hears rider died from ‘traumatic brain injury'
CHELTENHAM Festival-winning jockey Michael O'Sullivan died from a 'severe, traumatic brain injury' due to a horse riding accident, his inquest has heard. Cork Coroner's Court heard brief evidence this morning from Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster as to the cause of the death of the 24-year-old on February 16. 4 4 Dr Bolster carried out a post-mortem on the rider at Cork city mortuary the day after his tragic death, following a fatal fall at Thurles racecourse on February 6. Mr O'Sullivan, from Currabower, Lombardstown, Co Cork died at Cork University Hospital after what his family previously described as a 'trojan battle' to recover from his injuries. The jockey was airlifted to hospital following the serious last fence fall in Thurles, Co Tipperary. He was just days short of his 25th birthday when he passed away ten days later. Sergeant Aisling Murphy requested an adjournment of the inquest into the death of the champion jockey to facilitate 'preparatory work'. Cork City Coroner Philip Comyn said the inquest was being opened for the purpose of hearing medical evidence on the cause of death so that a death certificate could be issued to the family of the deceased. Inspector Justin Walsh, from the Health and Safety Authority, confirmed that their investigation in to the death is yet to be completed. Solicitor Denis Linehan, who represents the O'Sullivan family, was also in attendance at the inquest. A full hearing of the case will take place at a later date. Michael is survived by his parents William and Bernie, his brother Alan, his partner Charlotte and his grandmother Mary. Michael shot to public attention in 2023 when he won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham aboard Marine Nationale before going on to win the Fred Winter with Jazzy Matty. In an incredible twist of fate, both horses also won at the Festival this year, just under a month after he was laid to rest. Huge crowds attended his funeral at St John the Baptist Church in Glantane, Co Cork on February 19. LIFELONG DREAM His father William told mourners that Michael would want his loved ones to find joy in life in spite of his passing. He said that he had his heart set on being a jockey from an early age. Meanwhile, Michael's brother Alan and his cousins, David O'Sullivan and Sonny McCartan, recently took part in the Cork City Marathon to raise funds for Bru Columbanus, a charity that offers free accommodation to families of seriously ill patients in hospitals throughout the county. They decided to raise funds for the site in Wilton in Cork as it was a 'safe haven' for the O'Sullivan family when Michael was in intensive care. Over €94,000 has been raised for the charity so far. Donations can still be made online at 4 4
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Irish jockey Michael O'Sullivan died from catastrophic head injuries after fall at Thurles race meeting, inquest told
Cork Coroner's Court heard evidence of the cause of the death in the tragedy before adjourning the inquest to a future date. Coroner Philip Comyn granted the adjournment application to Sgt Aisling Murphy. She told the inquest that preparatory work was still ongoing in respect of the hearing. Mr Comyn said that, since the medical evidence had been heard, a death certificate could now be issued to Mr O'Sullivan's family. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she performed a post mortem examination at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on February 17. She ruled that the cause of death was a severe traumatic brain injury complicated by brain swelling with a cerebral infarction due to a horse riding accident. Inspector Justin Walsh from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said its investigation into the tragedy remained ongoing and no final report had been completed. Mr Comyn confirmed that a hearing date will be confirmed at a future time when all relevant inquiries are completed. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical injuries in a fall during a race at Thurles on February 6. He died 10 days later at Cork University Hospital (CUH) despite efforts to save his life. The talented jockey - who was from Lombardstown outside Mallow in north Cork - died just a few days short of his 25th birthday. ADVERTISEMENT Considered one of Ireland's emerging young racing stars, he had posted winners at multiple race meetings including at the Cheltenham festival. He is survived by his parents, William and Bernie, his brother Alan, partner Charlotte and extended family. In a moving tribute, his family posted in his death notice that: "Michael had accomplished so much in his short life. As a family we are so incredibly proud not only of his achievements in the saddle, but of the extraordinary young man he had become. He was full of kindness, integrity, ambition and love, always striving to be the best person he could be." They said he died despite "a trojan" battle to recover from his injuries. His funeral involved tributes from racing stables across Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) conducted a critical incident review immediately after the tragedy. Mr O'Sullivan suffered his fatal injuries when five horses and jockeys were involved in a chain reaction of falls. The incident occurred at the final fence. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical head injuries when his horse, Wee Charlie, fell. His mount later had to be euthanised because of a fractured leg. None of the other four jockeys suffered serious injuries. The IHRB review included video analysis, eye witness accounts of the incident and post-fall inspections. The review was finalised in early March and its findings released on March 25. It found that there was no evidence of human error in the incident while equipment failure and environmental factors were also ruled out as primary causes. The report found that the incident was as a consequence of the inherent risks of National Hunt racing. It found that a series of independent falls had triggered "an unavoidable chain reaction." However, it did make a number of recommendations. These included expanded racecourse safety training with specific focus on multi-horse incidents, advanced medical training for dealing with situations involving head injuries, a review of track configurations, watering at courses like Thurles to ensure ground consistency, post mortems to be mandated for equine fatalities and standardised sedation safety procedures. It also recommended that an exploration be conducted for technology to assess horse suitability to race. IHRB chief executive Darragh O'Loughlin praised the work of medical professionals on the day. 'This tragic incident has deeply affected the horseracing community, and our thoughts remain with Michael O'Sullivan's family and friends, his colleagues and all those touched by his loss," he said last March. "The professionalism of our emergency teams was exemplary but we are committed to learning from this event. These recommendations reflect our resolve to enhance safety while preserving the integrity of the sport we regulate." 'The IHRB maintains a relentless focus on safety to minimise the risk of racing related injury or harm to all participants. We owe it to Michael, to our riders, and to everyone in our sport to keep pushing forward." The IHRB noted last March that, following a reconfiguration of Thurles race track in 2020, fall rates had been reduced from 9.9pc to 3.8pc. "However, this incident underscores the unpredictable nature of racing and the need for continuous improvement." The IHRB said it would continue its "relentless focus on safety".
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Irish jockey Michael O'Sullivan died from catastrophic head injuries after fall at Thurles race meeting
Cork Coroner's Court heard evidence of the cause of the death in the tragedy before adjourning the inquest to a future date. Coroner Philip Comyn granted the adjournment application to Sgt Aisling Murphy. She told the inquest that preparatory work was still ongoing in respect of the hearing. Mr Comyn said that, since the medical evidence had been heard, a death certificate could now be issued to Mr O'Sullivan's family. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she performed a post mortem examination at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on February 17 last. She ruled that the cause of death was a severe traumatic brain injury complicated by brain swelling with a cerebral infarction due to a horse riding accident. Inspector Justin Walsh from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said that their investigation into the tragedy remained ongoing and no final report has been completed. Mr Comyn confirmed that a hearing date will be confirmed at a future time when all relevant inquiries are completed. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical injuries in a fall during a race at Thurles on February 6 last. He died 10 days later at Cork University Hospital (CUH) despite an heroic battle to recover from his injuries. ADVERTISEMENT The talented jockey - who was from Lombardstown outside Mallow in north Cork - died just a few days short of his 25th birthday. Considered one of Ireland's emerging young racing stars, he had posted winners at multiple race meetings including at the Cheltenham festival. He is survived by his parents, William and Bernie, his brother Alan, partner Charlotte and extended family. In a moving tribute, his family posted in his death notice that: "Michael had accomplished so much in his short life. As a family we are so incredibly proud not only of his achievements in the saddle, but of the extraordinary young man he had become. He was full of kindness, integrity, ambition and love, always striving to be the best person he could be." They said he died despite "a trojan" battle to recover from his injuries. His funeral involved tributes from racing stables across Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) conducted a critical incident review immediately after the tragedy. Mr O'Sullivan suffered his fatal injuries when five horses and jockeys were involved in a chain reaction of falls. The incident occurred at the final fence. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical head injuries when his horse, Wee Charlie, fell. His mount later had to be euthanised because of a fractured leg. None of the other four jockeys suffered serious injuries. The IHRB review included video analysis, eye witness accounts of the incident and post-fall inspections. The review was finalised in early March and its findings released on March 25. It found that there was no evidence of human error in the incident while equipment failure and environmental factors were also ruled out as primary causes. The report found that the incident was as a consequence of the inherent risks of National Hunt Racing. It found that a series of independent falls had triggered "an unavoidable chain reaction." However, it did make a number of recommendations. These included expanded racecourse safety training with specific focus on multi-horse incidents, advanced medical training for dealing with situations involving head injuries, a review of track configurations, watering at courses like Thurles to ensure ground consistency, post mortems to be mandated for equine fatalities and standardised sedation safety procedures. It also recommended that an exploration be conducted for technology to assess horse suitability to race. IHRB chief executive Darragh O'Loughlin praised the work of medical professionals on the day. 'This tragic incident has deeply affected the horseracing community, and our thoughts remain with Michael O'Sullivan's family and friends, his colleagues and all those touched by his loss," he said last March. "The professionalism of our emergency teams was exemplary but we are committed to learning from this event." "These recommendations reflect our resolve to enhance safety while preserving the integrity of the sport we regulate." 'The IHRB maintains a relentless focus on safety to minimise the risk of racing related injury or harm to all participants." "We owe it to Michael, to our riders, and to everyone in our sport to keep pushing forward." The IHRB noted last March that, following a reconfiguration of Thurles race track in 2020, fall rates had been reduced from 9.9pc to 3.8pc. "However, this incident underscores the unpredictable nature of racing and the need for continuous improvement." The IHRB said it would continue its "relentless focus on safety."
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Irish jockey died from catastrophic head injuries after fall at Thurles race meeting
Cork Coroner's Court heard evidence of the cause of the death in the tragedy before adjourning the inquest to a future date. Coroner Philip Comyn granted the adjournment application to Sgt Aisling Murphy. She told the inquest that preparatory work was still ongoing in respect of the hearing. Mr Comyn said that, since the medical evidence had been heard, a death certificate could now be issued to Mr O'Sullivan's family. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she performed a post mortem examination at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on February 17 last. She ruled that the cause of death was a severe traumatic brain injury complicated by brain swelling with a cerebral infarction due to a horse riding accident. Inspector Justin Walsh from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said that their investigation into the tragedy remained ongoing and no final report has been completed. Mr Comyn confirmed that a hearing date will be confirmed at a future time when all relevant inquiries are completed. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical injuries in a fall during a race at Thurles on February 6 last. He died 10 days later at Cork University Hospital (CUH) despite an heroic battle to recover from his injuries. The talented jockey - who was from Lombardstown outside Mallow in north Cork - died just a few days short of his 25th birthday. Considered one of Ireland's emerging young racing stars, he had posted winners at multiple race meetings including at the Cheltenham festival. He is survived by his parents, William and Bernie, his brother Alan, partner Charlotte and extended family. In a moving tribute, his family posted in his death notice that: "Michael had accomplished so much in his short life. As a family we are so incredibly proud not only of his achievements in the saddle, but of the extraordinary young man he had become. He was full of kindness, integrity, ambition and love, always striving to be the best person he could be." They said he died despite "a trojan" battle to recover from his injuries. His funeral involved tributes from racing stables across Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) conducted a critical incident review immediately after the tragedy. Mr O'Sullivan suffered his fatal injuries when five horses and jockeys were involved in a chain reaction of falls. The incident occurred at the final fence. Mr O'Sullivan suffered critical head injuries when his horse, Wee Charlie, fell. His mount later had to be euthanised because of a fractured leg. None of the other four jockeys suffered serious injuries. The IHRB review included video analysis, eye witness accounts of the incident and post-fall inspections. The review was finalised in early March and its findings released on March 25. It found that there was no evidence of human error in the incident while equipment failure and environmental factors were also ruled out as primary causes. The report found that the incident was as a consequence of the inherent risks of National Hunt Racing. It found that a series of independent falls had triggered "an unavoidable chain reaction." However, it did make a number of recommendations. These included expanded racecourse safety training with specific focus on multi-horse incidents, advanced medical training for dealing with situations involving head injuries, a review of track configurations, watering at courses like Thurles to ensure ground consistency, post mortems to be mandated for equine fatalities and standardised sedation safety procedures. It also recommended that an exploration be conducted for technology to assess horse suitability to race. IHRB chief executive Darragh O'Loughlin praised the work of medical professionals on the day. 'This tragic incident has deeply affected the horseracing community, and our thoughts remain with Michael O'Sullivan's family and friends, his colleagues and all those touched by his loss," he said last March. "The professionalism of our emergency teams was exemplary but we are committed to learning from this event." "These recommendations reflect our resolve to enhance safety while preserving the integrity of the sport we regulate." 'The IHRB maintains a relentless focus on safety to minimise the risk of racing related injury or harm to all participants." "We owe it to Michael, to our riders, and to everyone in our sport to keep pushing forward." The IHRB noted last March that, following a reconfiguration of Thurles race track in 2020, fall rates had been reduced from 9.9pc to 3.8pc. "However, this incident underscores the unpredictable nature of racing and the need for continuous improvement." The IHRB said it would continue its "relentless focus on safety."
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inquest confirms cause of death of Cheltenham-winning jockey Michael O'Sullivan
Cheltenham festival-winning jockey Michael O'Sullivan died of a severe traumatic brain injury, complicated by brain swelling with cerebral infarction, due to a horse riding accident, his inquest has heard. Cork Coroner's Court heard brief evidence on Thursday morning from Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, as to the cause of the death of the 24-year-old on February 16. Dr Bolster carried out a post-mortem on Mr O'Sullivan at Cork City Mortuary a day after his death. Mr O'Sullivan, of Currabower, Lombardstown, Co Cork, died at Cork University Hospital after what his family previously described as a 'trojan battle' to recover from his injuries. Michael was airlifted to hospital on February 6 following a serious last-fence fall in Thurles, Co Tipperary. He was just days short of his 25th birthday when he passed away ten days later. Sergeant Aisling Murphy requested an adjournment of the inquest in to the death of the champion jockey to facilitate 'preparatory work'. Cork City Coroner Philip Comyn said the inquest was being opened for the purpose of hearing medical evidence on the cause of death so that a death certificate could be issued to the family of the deceased. Inspector Justin Walsh from the Health and Safety Authority was present at the hearing. He confirmed that their investigation into the death is yet to be completed. Solicitor Denis Linehan, who represents the O'Sullivan family, was also in attendance at the inquest. He will be on the record for the family going forward. A full hearing of the case will take place at a later date. Michael will be missed by his parents William and Bernie, his brother Alan, his partner Charlotte, his grandmother Mary, uncles and aunts, his weigh-room colleagues and the wider racing community and extended family and friends. Michael shot to public attention two years ago when he won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham aboard Marine Nationale before going on to win the Fred Winter with Jazzy Matty. Huge crowds attended his funeral at St John the Baptist Church in Glantane, Co Cork on February 19. His father William told mourners that Michael would want his loved ones to find joy in life in spite of his passing. He said that Michael had his heart set on being a jockey from an early age. He noted that even though Michael had managed to receive an honours degree in Agricultural Science, they had it on 'good authority' that he read the Racing Post during lectures in UCD. Meanwhile, Michael's brother Alan and his cousins David O'Sullivan and Sonny McCartan recently took part in the Cork City Marathon to raise funds for Brú Columbanus, a charity that offers free accommodation to families of seriously ill patients in Cork hospitals. They decided to raise funds for the site in Wilton in Cork as it was a 'safe haven' for the O'Sullivan family when Michael was in intensive care. Over €94,000 has been raised for the charity arising out of the fundraising appeal. Donations can still be made online at
