GAA star Ronan Clarke has been taken out of his medically-induced coma and is now breathing on his own after being hospitalised with a serious head injury last Friday night.
The Pearse Og player, who won an All-Ireland medal with Armagh in 2002, collided with a post in a meeting with Maghery and collapsed after the game.
His father Adrian, who rushed him to hospital on the night, has been keeping the press informed of his condition ever since and revealed the 32-year-old is showing signs of improvement.
“They’ve started to gradually take him off the drugs and he’s breathing on his own,” he told The Irish News. “He does recognise us and can understand what we’re saying. He’s speaking a little and is somewhat audible, but he is very tired.”
Despite the progress, Clarke’s father admits that the recovery process could take some time as serious head injuries can so often do.
He added: "With this situation it is going to take time, but the signs are good. We are happy in that respect. If you were to put a time frame on it, we just don't know. It's day by day, hour by hour.
"We are quite happy to date with his progress, and as far as we can ascertain at the present time he is making gradual progress.”
Clarke was due to fly to Rome with his wife of two weeks Michelle on Monday for the second leg of their honeymoon, but Adrian Clarke believes she is coping well with the predicament.
“She’s bearing up very, very well,” he said. “She’s been quite wonderful in dealing with the situation as best she can.”
See More: Armagh, Featured, GAA, Injury, Pearse Og, Ronan Clarke
