Trust helped Danny rebuild his life after rugby's cruellest blow
A spinal injury in a rugby scrum left Galbally man Danny Noonan paralysed at 18, but 27 years later he says the IRFU Charitable Trust has restored his independence — and now he's urging locals to support its inaugural Limerick charity golf outing next month
DANNY Noonan was just weeks away from celebrating his 19th birthday when a rugby scrum changed the course of his life forever.
The promising young hooker from Galbally suffered a devastating spinal injury while playing in January 1999, leaving him with a C5-C6 spinal cord injury and reliant on a wheelchair. More than 27 years later, however, he credits the IRFU Charitable Trust with helping him rebuild his independence and is now urging Limerick people to support the organisation's first-ever Golf Outing in the county.
The fundraising event will take place at Castletroy Golf Club on September 16, with proceeds helping the Trust continue its work supporting seriously injured rugby players across Ireland.
Reflecting on the accident, Danny said his immediate focus was simply getting through rehabilitation and returning to college. "I suffered a spinal injury in a scrum playing for my local team here in Galbally in January 1999. I then went to Dublin, I had an operation on my neck and I was in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire until October of 1999 for rehab.”
Danny continued: “While I was there, the Trust reached out to see if they could help in any way, but I was young then and thought I could do it all on my own and didn't really engage with the Trust. And then a couple of years later, I was going to a wedding. One of my best friends was getting married in America, and I just reached out to the Trust. I needed to take a personal assistant with me on my travels, and they helped out with that." After returning home, Danny resumed his studies at Waterford Institute of Technology, determined to build what he describes as his "new normal".
"I had to get back to my new normal back in 1999 coming home from Dún Laoghaire and settling in and then trying to get back into the college life, but again I had a big group of friends from being in Waterford previously, so they really, really helped out.”
Speaking about the support of his family and friends at the time, Danny said: “I was lucky enough. I have a large family and extended group of friends, they really stood by me and helped me when I needed it. There was people calling up to me in Dún Laoghaire every day, and I had a large group of friends in Dublin at the time in college, and they called out most evenings to me.”
The Trust has contributed towards adapted transport, funded rehabilitation and gym memberships, and most recently helped purchase a specialist home gym imported from Canada to enable Danny to continue exercising independently.
“It's made a massive difference by helping out with the car. I can just drive myself, it's just freedom to be able to jump into the car and go places and not be waiting for someone to take you there, or even just to go for a drive,” explained Danny.
“They cover my gym fees in Elite Fitness in Cork. They do a huge amount of work. “I can continue my daily exercise at home… getting into bed, pushing the wheelchair, and just getting around. You have a lot more energy. You just feel better working out. I can do all that here at home thanks to the IRFU Charitable Trust.”
Danny said the opportunity to meet other players living with life-changing spinal injuries has been so helpful. “There's 36 seriously injured rugby players across the 4 provinces and the IRFU Charitable Trust look after their needs…
Through these events like the Golf Charity Trust and going to these other events, I get to meet other injured players and we exchange stories. It's lovely to meet people in a similar situation.”
A lifelong rugby supporter, Danny continues to attend Munster and Ireland matches whenever possible, including travelling to France for the Rugby World Cup. “I go to most of the Munster games, and I go to most of the Irish games. I spent 11 days at the World Cup in France, taking in 3 or 4 games. Even after my accident now, I still love going to the games and watching the games.”
Danny started playing rugby underage in Galbally, and then went to school in Rockwell and played with teams there. “I played with the Munster Schools in 1998, and then after I finished up in Rockwell, I went to WIT, and I was in WIT at the time in college when I had my accident.” He hopes the inaugural Limerick golf outing will raise both funds and awareness for a charity he believes is making a life-changing difference.
“We had the golf outing there in Cork the last four years, and it's been a huge success so it's the first time it’s in Limerick so we're hoping now that all the people of Limerick will support this event,” concluded Danny.
Funds raised help provide practical supports including adapted housing, specialist wheelchairs, transport, rehabilitation, healthcare and equipment for players whose lives have been permanently altered through rugby.
The Limerick Munster Charity Golf Outing will take place on September 16 at Castletroy Golf Club from 10am to 2pm. Registration, breakfast roll available from 9am. Gourmet BBQ after your round. The event will also feature a special guests Q&A, a charity auction and raffle and prizes for the top three teams, nearest the pins and longest drives.
People can support the golf outing by: entering a team and playing in the golf day, businesses can sponsor a T Box on the day, by donating prize for the raffle that will take place on the day of the golf outing and volunteering your time on the day to help the smooth running of the golf outing.