The Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairí, were released from hospital late last night after both had suffered suspected concussion during Sunday’s All-Ireland club senior football final.
The Errigal Ciarán duo – sons of Tyrone legend Peter Canavan – endured a nightmare day in Croke Park as their club fell to Cuala of Dublin in their first AIB All-Ireland decider, and both were subsequently hospitalised amid head injury concerns.
But CT scans provided some belated positive news, and they were safely back in Tyrone by the middle of the night.
Both players are now set to miss the start of Tyrone’s Allianz Football League campaign. Even before Sunday’s twin setbacks, they were unlikely to be rushed back by new boss Malachy O’Rourke after such a gruelling club campaign, but they are now sure to sit out this Saturday evening’s Division 1 date with arch-rivals Derry in Omagh.
Errigal chairperson Emmett McGinley was in contact with their father, Peter, on Sunday night and again on Monday.
“They were taken to the Mater after the game, by ambulance, and kept in there for observation,” McGinley said.
“And then, later on that evening, at about 11 o’clock, they both had CT scans which thankfully came back clear. They were discharged last night, and they were back home at about three or half-three.”
Their mother, Finola, had accompanied Darragh and Ruairí in the ambulance while Peter made arrangements to ensure other family members got on the road safely before joining them in the Mater.
The two siblings had been in stunning semi-final form just the previous week, amassing 1-13 between them against Dr Crokes as Errigal emerged from an extra-time epic to become the first Tyrone club to reach an All-Ireland senior final.
But both struggled to make any early headway as Cuala ran riot during the first quarter of Sunday’s Croker showdown… and then, with his team trailing by 11 points, Darragh was forced off after taking a heavy blow to the head in the 20th minute.
The Errigal skipper had tried to gather a low pass near the Hogan touchline, only to initially spill the ball and then be caught by an opponent’s knee.
After a two-minute hold-up, he was helped from the pitch by team boss Enda McGinley, himself a qualified physiotherapist. “He was groggy and he was not right … you just can’t take risks with that,” McGinley said after the game.
The source of Ruairí’s injury was far less obvious, with his manager revealing that he didn’t realise there was an issue until he approached the player after full-time. “I’m not sure where his hit came, but unfortunately he’s well dazed as well,” the former Tyrone star added.
Emmett McGinley – Enda’s older brother – has now speculated that the injury may have stemmed from a seemingly innocuous incident in the 46th minute where he was propelled into a Cuala player while contesting possession.
“It wasn’t malicious in any way, there didn’t seem to be any intent in it, just in the course of play. And that’s the only thing we can see where he seems to have picked up a bit of contact that may have caused it,” he surmised.
The brothers “absolutely” won’t be rushed back, he added. “They’ll follow the protocol, I don’t know whether it’s two or three weeks. I don’t expect Malachy (O’Rourke) will be rushing them back at all. Nor will they be rushing back until they get the all-clear.”
Reflecting on Errigal’s roller coaster day – they trailed by 13 points at half-time but only lost by four at the finish – their chairperson concluded: “On the biggest stage they were able to show a bit of what they’re about. The first half, definitely, was very uncharacteristic of them. Yeah, it’s just so many ‘what ifs?’ after that, with the two boys getting injured and Darragh off the pitch and us doing the comeback – what would Darragh have been worth in such a second half? But, listen, we’ll never know.”