Fermanagh's All-Star gaelic footballer, Martin McGrath (28), from Ederney was undergoing a brain and skull scan yesterday following an accident on the family farm on Saturday afternoon in which he sustained an eye injury when he was struck by part of a digger.
His brother, Tony was with him at the time and, shortly afterwards, they were joined by their father, Anthony. Martin was then rushed to the Erne hospital.
His mother, Angela told the 'Herald' yesterday, prior to the scan, that her son was 'a lucky man': "Tony knew rightaway that something had happened. I don't think Martin was unconscious, but he was bleeding from the nose. This was about 4.40 in the day. I saw him about an hour after that, and he was still in Casualty.
"At that stage, Martin, as usual, was trying to keep a brave face. He was able to talk, and after a while he was able to remember what happened.. The doctors thought he might have sustained a fracture above the left eye and maybe damage to the eye socket as well. But, that's really all there is, no brain damage, thank God".
Mrs McGrath said the doctors had told her that her son was a very fit man, and that despite his trauma, his blood pressure remained unaffected..
"We stayed till midnight on Saturday", she said. "We would not have been content leaving him, but when we went back in on Sunday, we saw a big change in him. The nurses had wakened him every hour to ensure there was no brain damage. So, apart from the fracture above the eye, the outlook is good.
"He was very disappointed as far as the football goes", Mrs McGrath added. "The first thing he said to me on Saturday night was that he wouldn't be fit to play football for a while. He said the same thing after his two heart operations and, in fact, after the second one, which was a success he said: 'I can't wait to get out and play again and win an Ulster title'.
"So, we'll see how it goes today (yesterday) with his scan. Depending on what it shows up, they could send him to Altnagelvin or they might leave him where he is and let the thing settle itself".
Since word of Martin's mishap got out, the phone in the McGrath family home at Edenveagh on the Ederney-Castlederg road, has been ringing non-stop and, likewise, at other family members' homes. Also in the family are his sister, Eleanor, Sean and Tony. Martin (28) is the youngest. His sister, Mary, who came in the middle, died suddenly in 1977 aged 2 years and 4 months.
The footballer, a sales representative with the Quinn Group, was visited in hospital by, among others, Fr Brian D'Arcy, who is the Fermanagh team's number one supporter and, at a squad training session on Monday night, his colleagues and the management team signed a Get Well Soon card.
Martin played for Fermanagh against Tyrone in this year's Ulster Senior Football Championship in Clones, losing by a point. Fermanagh's next game will be on Saturday, 7th July in the All-Ireland Qualifiers against opponents still to be named.
