Latest news with #Harney
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Promising young Irish jockey 'forced to retire' aged just 23
Twenty-three-year-old Irish jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire five months on from suffering a serious head injury during a race last January. Harney was rushed to hospital after a fall at Fakenham racecourse on Sunday, January 19. He was riding Micronormous in the Sky Bet Queen Boudicca Series Final Mares' Handicap Chase when the horse slipped on a bend, resulting in a heavy fall for Harney. The next day, trainer David Pipe said that Harney was "battered and bruised" but that "jockeys are made of strong stuff." But Pipe has now confirmed that Harney has been forced to leave horseracing behind for good, after his latest medical scans meant that doctors couldn't give him the green light for returning his licence. Taking to social media, Pipe said: "Wishing conditional jockey Gearoid Harney the very best for the future as he unfortunately will not be returning to the saddle following his fall in January on medical advice. He rode 10 winners for me, the highlight being Kingston Queen's Listed Bumper success." Speaking to The Racing Post, Pipe added that "there will always be a place at [Pipe's training centre] Pond House" for Harney if the Cork man wants to move into training. Before his fall, Harney had ridden 21 winners since moving to the UK from Ireland in 2021, having ridden in point-to-points in this country. At the time of the accident in January, stewards explained: "Gearoid Harney, the rider of Micronormous, had fallen on the bend entering the back straight on the second circuit. After viewing a recording of the incident, it was found that there was possible interference resulting in Micronormous falling. Harney was unable to be interviewed following the incident, and therefore the enquiry was adjourned till a later date."
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘Such a shame' as promising jockey forced to retire aged 23 on ‘medical advice'
The messages of support have flooded in SAD END 'Such a shame' as promising jockey forced to retire aged 23 on 'medical advice' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PROMISING jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire from racing aged just 23 on 'medical advice'. The conditional rider 'kept getting concussed' when he fell and suffered a heavy crash at Fakenham in January. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire aged just 23 Credit: Alamy Harney was rushed to hospital for urgent care and racing was abandoned soon after his slip from David Pipe's Micronormous - which would turn out to be his final ever race. Unfortunately, while he recovered from that incident, doctors had advised him to stop racing altogether. A post from Pipe said on X: "Wishing conditional jockey Gearoid Harney @Gearoid84997068 the very best for the future as he unfortunately will not be returning to the saddle following his fall in January on medical advice. "He rode ten winners for me, the highlight being Kingston Queen's Listed Bumper success." Pipe added: "The scans showed there was still some damage there and it wasn't right for him to get his licence back. The decision was in their hands. "He kept getting concussed when he fell and the IJF have been very supportive, so he'll have to have a think about what he'll do in the future." Harney came close to more disaster at Market Rasen earlier this season when he was running round the Lincolnshire track. Unaware a race was taking place behind him, he continued jogging as the horses thundered past. After narrowly avoiding what could have been a terrible accident just days before his Fakenham fall, Harney said: "I was mistaken but thankfully there was no harm done. "It was close enough and too close for comfort. I don't think they'll be forgetting that one in a hurry!" 2 Harney came close to disaster at Market Rasen when he jogged on the track in the middle of a race Punters were quick to offer Harney their support, with some saying it was a great 'shame' he had been forced out. A post from Irish Racing referenced the tragic death of Michael O'Sullivan in a race earlier this year as a reminder of the dangers jockeys face every day. The message read: "We wish Irish jockey Gearoid Harney all the best as he is forced to retire due to a severe head injury from a fall at Fakenham in January. "In a challenging year for our sport, marked by the tragic passing of Michael O'Sullivan, this incident further highlights the risks jockeys face." Harney retires with 21 wins from 197 rides and just shy of £250,000 in prize money earnings. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Such a shame' as promising jockey forced to retire aged 23 on ‘medical advice'
PROMISING jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire from racing aged just 23 on 'medical advice'. The conditional rider 'kept getting concussed' when he fell and 2 Jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire aged just 23 Credit: Alamy Harney was rushed to hospital for urgent care and racing was abandoned soon after his slip from David Pipe's Micronormous - which would turn out to be his final ever race. Unfortunately, while he recovered from that incident, doctors had advised him to stop racing altogether. A post from Pipe said on X: "Wishing conditional jockey Gearoid Harney @Gearoid84997068 the very best for the future as he unfortunately will not be returning to the saddle following his fall in January on medical advice. "He rode ten winners for me, the highlight being Kingston Queen's Listed Bumper success." Pipe added: "The scans showed there was still some damage there and it wasn't right for him to get his licence back. The decision was in their hands. "He kept getting concussed when he fell and the IJF have been very supportive, so he'll have to have a think about what he'll do in the future." Harney came close to more disaster at Market Rasen earlier this season when he was running round the Lincolnshire track. Unaware a race was taking place behind him, he continued jogging as the horses thundered past. Most read in Horse Racing After narrowly avoiding what could have been a terrible accident just days before his Fakenham fall, Harney said: "I was mistaken but thankfully there was no harm done. "It was close enough and too close for comfort. I don't think they'll be forgetting that one in a hurry!" 2 Harney came close to disaster at Market Rasen when he jogged on the track in the middle of a race Punters were quick to offer Harney their support, with some saying it was a great 'shame' he had been forced out. A post from Irish Racing referenced the The message read: "We wish Irish jockey Gearoid Harney all the best as he is forced to retire due to a severe head injury from a fall at Fakenham in January. "In a challenging year for our sport, marked by the tragic passing of Michael O'Sullivan, this incident further highlights the risks jockeys face." Harney retires with 21 wins from 197 rides and just shy of £250,000 in prize money earnings. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Irish jockey, 23, forced to retire after being plagued by concussions in the aftermath of January fall
IRISH conditional jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire due to a severe head injury he suffered in a January fall at Fakenham. The 23-year-old Advertisement 2 The Cork native's career in the saddle has come to a premature end Credit: Alamy 2 He rode for Somerset-based trainer David Pipe Credit: PA That misfortune came a mere two days after the biggest win of his fledgling career onboard Kingston Queen in the Listed Alan Swinbank mares' bumper at Market Rasen. Harney has not yet spoken about his decision to retire but he rode primarily for David Pipe who spoke to They said: "The scans showed there was still some damage there and it wasn't right for him to get his licence back. The decision was in their hands. "He kept getting concussed when he fell and the Injured Jockeys Fund have been very supportive, so he'll have to have a think about what he'll do in the future." Advertisement Read More On Irish Sport In total the UK-based rider racked up 21 winners for Pipe. His first win, however, was for Deborah Cole in December 2021. In that instance he steered 50-1 rank outsider 50-1 shot Hauraki Gulf to first place in a Warwick contest. Pipe offered up some words of encouragement as he vowed Harney can have a job at his yard if he chooses to continue working in the racing industry. He outlined: "He wasn't with us for a long time but we had some success. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing "The highlight was probably on Kingston Queen and he was a good part of the team. "It's a shame it's come to an abrupt end, but he goes out in one piece and there's plenty of people worse off. Statement issued as officials launch probe into jockey's final-flight fall on leading horse who drifted in market "There's a place for him at Pond House if he wants it. He'll have some time out and have a think about it. "I'm sure he'd like to stay in racing in some form but he's only just had the news and it'll take some time to see it through. He knows his form and point-to-points very well." Advertisement
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Frustrations in Galway at HSE's ‘disgraceful' delay in disposal of buildings on derelict hospital site
At a meeting of the Regional Health Forum West on Tuesday, May 27, Fine Gael's Cllr Alan Harney said the HSE has failed 'abysmally' in relation to these buildings. The councillor said it's 'absolutely disgraceful' that the HSE has been served a Derelict Sites notice for these buildings following multiple pleas for engagement with local authorities. Cllr Harney said we need to 'see action' and 'immediate works' under way, and not further delays. He also noted the opportunity to transform one of these buildings into a health centre which is needed for the local Ballinasloe community. After a recent fire on the hospital campus, Cllr Harney noted an increase in security around the Ballinasloe site's vicinity, which he did applaud the HSE for. A response to Cllr Harney's request for updated information on the disposal of the site was answered by Niall Colleary, the HSE's Assistant National Director for Capital and Estates. 'The HSE are aiming to have a sales agent selected before the end of June to manage the disposal process for St Brigid's,' he said. 'The campus is not in compliance with Section 58 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as the HSE has recently been served with a Derelict Sites notice. 'The HSE have engaged with the local authority in relation to this matter with a view to reaching agreement on a pragmatic approach to addressing the issues.' However, as Mr Colleary, or any other representative for Capital and Estates, wasn't in attendance at the meeting, Ann Cosgrove, the HSE's Integrated Healthcare Area Manager for Galway and Roscommon, assured Cllr Harney that the HSE is 'intent to move forward' with their strategy to destroy these properties. ADVERTISEMENT 'We need to keep it moving forward to get the best possible outcomes,' Ms Cosgrove said. Cllr Harney also expressed his annoyance at no representatives from Capital and Estates being in attendance at the meeting, saying he noted that there is 'no one here from estates which seems to be a common occurrence at these meetings'. Later in the meeting, following numerous questions directed at the HSE's Capital and Estates department, the Regional Health Forum West's Chairperson Cllr Ciaran Brogan asked if it is made a priority that a representative from that department be present at next month's meeting.
