Northern Ireland

Coroner praises family of Co Derry Gaelic footballer whose organs helped save lives of three people

Shaun Mullan died days after he was injured while out cycling in Co Derry in November 2017
Shaun Mullan died days after he was injured while out cycling in Co Derry in November 2017 Shaun Mullan died days after he was injured while out cycling in Co Derry in November 2017

A CORONER yesterday praised the family of a young Co Derry Gaelic footballer whose organs helped save the lives of three people after he was killed in a road tragedy while out cycling.

Shaun Mullan (28) from Maghera died in November 2017 just weeks after he and his wife Sinead had learned they were expecting their first child.

Their daughter Ellen is now three-years-old, but tragically never got to meet her father.

A senior player for Sarsfields Ballerin GAC, an inquest into Mr Mullan's death yesterday heard his bicycle was struck by a transit van on the Glenshane Road, Magherafelt.

The court heard statements from other road users who said there was a "glare of the sun" at the time of the crash.

A forensic scientist, Dr Emerson Callendar, who examined the scene told the inquest that at the time of the collision, around 8.25am, the "sun would have caused visibility difficulties for the driver of the van".

He also said the van was travelling at speed of approximately 50 to 60mph.

The court heard Mr Mullan was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, but had suffered a severe brain injury that was "not sustainable".

Coronor Joe McCrisken said when the young man's family were told there was nothing more doctors could do, they made the "difficult, but brave decision" to donate some of Mr Mullan's organs.

A family member told the court that they donated some of his organs as "we didn't want any other family to lose a loved one if there was an opportunity for an organ to go to another person".

"There's definitely some comfort knowing that someone benefited from what happened to Shaun because he was a healthy person," she said.

"What happened was a waste of Shaun's life, but it didn't have to be for other people."

Mr McCrisken praised Mr Mullan's family for making "an incredibly brave decision to allow some of Shaun's organs to be donated for transplant as well as for research purposes".

"Two individuals received a kidney and those people, in their 30s and 50s, had been on the waiting list - on one occasion for two-and-half years and one for three years," he said.

"Receiving a kidney has changed their lives and another gentleman received a liver transplant which saved his life.

"There are three people walking around now alive because of Shaun and because of your decision and whose families can be grateful that they can sit down with them.

"There is a bittersweetness about that, but from my point of view as someone who is involved in making decisions around organ donations, you have my thanks and the thanks of those people for showing the way and setting the example."