ENNIS born internationally-renowned artist Mick O’Dea has described his recent accident, which left him with serious injuries, as a “very close call.”

The award-winning artist was brought to the Mater Hospital for surgery after an accident on Dublin’s O’Connell Street in January.

He said he was “very lucky” to have escaped with his life. Mr O’Dea is now recovering at his home in Dublin, having spent a week in hospital, where he spent a number of days in intensive care.

“I just have to take it easy now for a couple more weeks and try and heal,” he told The Clare Champion.
He said the impact “shattered” his spleen, which had to be surgically removed. He praised the surgical team and all at the Mater Hospital saying “they saved me”.

The accident occurred on January 17 when Mr O’Dea was cycling on O’Connell Street. He recalled, “I was cycling along O’Connell Street and somebody walked out in front of me without any warning with a mobile phone up to their ear. My brakes are very good, unfortunately for me. I put on the two of them immediately and went sailing out over the handlebars and landed on my back. The impact shattered my spleen.”

Passing cyclists, one of whom witnessed the accident, contacted the gardaí and an ambulance was called. “By the time I got to the hospital my blood pressure was quite low. I had a lot of internal bleeding and the scan confirmed it. I was lucky after the initial incident that every thing else that happened was very positive, in the sense that there was a very good surgical team on and the hospital was nearby. They saved me and took out my spleen.”

He went on, “I was very lucky, it was a very close call. If it had gone on for any length of time, I would have bled out inside.”

He said he has been inundated with good will from people, which he says have been very beneficial in his recovery. “I’ve had an unbelievable amount of good wishes from people, cards from Ennis from all sorts of people, people I haven’t been in touch with for years. There has been lots of good will and lots of encouragement so that’s been phenomenal. It’s something I have been very moved by. I think it’s helped with my recovery, you don’t feel like you are by yourself, as the fella says.”

Mr O’Dea has put his work schedule on hold for the time being, while he concentrates on his recovery. This includes cancelling an upcoming exhibition in Dublin.

“It will be another month before I will be back at work. I was due to have an exhibition opening in Dublin on the 1st of May but I cancelled that. I’ve cancelled a lot of things and I’m just concentrating now on trying to make a speedy recovery.”