A young man from Roslea who was left with life-threatening injuries after being struck on the head by a man wielding a baseball bat on his way home to his digs in the Holylands student area of Belfast has secured a honours degree in Building Surveying.
Marius Rooney, who is a son of Francis and Christina Rooney, from Dernawilt East, defied medical experts by returning to his degree course after a year's rehabilitation.
At the time of the night-time attack he was a student at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and had almost finished his first year, having sat his first year exams.
'I was due to begin my work experience', he told the 'Herald' this week, "and I was out of action for a year, although the medical profession had told me I would be out for longer than that. So, when I did go back, I skipped my placement year and went straight into my third year before going to Jordanstown, then my placement year and then my finals last year".
That year's placement was with Durnian.com, Chartered Building Surveyors, Belfast with whom Marius is now employed.
And, what a busy year it was for he took time to organise a number of fund-raising events which raised money for the Royal Victoria Hospital where he was in intensive care and, also, for a number of charities that were instrumental in his rehabilitation.
They included a quiz night and a traditional Irish music/storytelling night that raised £10,000 from which the proceeds were split three ways, with £3,500 going to the Royal, the same again to the Cedar Foundation and £2,337.59 to the Headway Enniscrone.
The latter two rehabilitation organisations are based at Drumcoo, Enniskillen.
Through the 'Herald', Marius thanked everyone who donated, helped out or supported him in any way in the raising of this impressive amount.
Last September, he organised a charity football match which raised another £300 for the Cedar Foundation. Here too, he asked space to thank all the players and the match referee for making the event a success.
In June next, Marius is hoping to arrange another fund-raising football match from which the proceeds will go to the Community Brain Injury Team.
Marius, B.Sc (Hons) is a past pupil of St Tierney's PS, Roslea and St Michael's College, Enniskillen.
