Laois footballer Danny O’Reilly – who was assaulted in Carlow in the early hours of Easter Monday – has been released from St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny and has returned home.
The Graiguecullen man suffered serious head injuries following an incident in the Potato Market of the town.
On Thursday, O’Reilly came out of his coma that he had been in since he suffered multiple fractures to his skull.
Chairman of the Laois Football Board and friend of the O’Reilly family, Laurence Phelan, told LaoisToday that Danny was released on Saturday evening and will now begin the next phase of his recovery.
He said: “Danny is in good form and he is delighted to be home.
“But he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
“And both he and we will have to be patient with it as it will be slow.
“But it is certainly very good news that he has been deemed well enough to come home.”
It’s understood that Laois GAA and the Graiguecullen club are looking at organising a senior football match in Graigue ahead of the Leinster championship – with the proceeds of the gate to be donated to O’Reilly during his recovery.
Two men appeared in court in Carlow on Thursday charged with assault causing harm to the footballer.
O’Reilly was seriously injured following an incident at the Potato Market in Carlow town in the early hours of Easter Monday.
20-year-old Tommy Lee Thompson of 49 Springfield Drive, Burrin Road, Carlow and 24-year-old Brendan Keating of 135 New Oak Estate appeared before a judge in the District Court in Carlow this morning.
They are both local men and Garda Daniel Ryan of Carlow Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution of the two men to Judge Miriam Walsh.
The court heard that Tommy Lee Thompson was charged on Wednesday evening at Kilkenny Garda Station with assault causing harm to the footballer and he replied ‘sorry’ when cautioned.
While Brendan Keating made no reply when he was charged with the same offence at Thomastown Garda Station.
The two men have been remanded on bail but they have been let out of custody on various different conditions.
Inspector Audrey Dormer said the men were to sign on four times a week at Carlow Garda Station on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
They are to obey a curfew between 9pm-8am and ordered not to interfere with any of witnesses.
The pair were told to provide a telephone number to gardaí and be contactable at all times.
They were to allow gardaí to inspect their addresses to monitor their curfew at any time. The men were also to be of temperate habits.
Both defendants said, when asked by Judge Walsh, that they understood the bail conditions and the consequences if they failed to abide by them.
Legal aid was granted to the men and the case was adjourned until May 2.
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