“A lot more empathy” is needed towards people with disabilities in Ireland, according to a special needs teacher who has written about his disability.

Phil Quinlan was 15 years old when he was hit in the head during a soccer match and ended up in a coma for 10 days.  

Following his stay in hospital, Mr Quinlan was paralysed on the right side of his body and could not walk, talk or eat independently.  

Some 33 years later, Mr Quinlan’s book And a Bang in the Ear details his journey following his accident and his hopes for the future of disability in Ireland.  

Mr Quinlan told On the Record he initially tried to continue playing the match following his injury.

“I tried to play on the rest of the game for a couple of seconds," he said. "I passed the Maddocks questions - ‘where are we playing, what is the score, what day is it?’."

Mr Quinlan said he was able to answer these questions “perfectly”, and that this method to test a brain injury “is not as fit for purpose as it was 33 years ago”.  

Eventually, Mr Quinlan said, he “just wanted to fall asleep” as blood ended up pouring from his ear.

Parents 

Mr Quinlan was taken to hospital, where he received a four-hour operation and ended up in a coma for 10 days.  

He said he “never realised until I had my own kids what I put my parents through” during this time.  

“I'll never forget that for three and a half months, my mother getting lifts up to Beaumont Hospital,” he said. “And then she had to go home and give 100% to my siblings.” 

Doctors told Mr Quinlan’s parents that it may take two years for him to recover – but he said, “33 years later, I'm still disabled.” 

And a Bang on the Ear by Phil Quinlan and Steve O'Rourke. Available now.

Teaching 

Mr Quinlan didn’t think he would become a teacher for special needs. 

“As a 15-year-old you’re going to win the World Cup the Olympic final,” he said. “You don’t think about [teaching].” 

Mr Quinlan had bumped into his old teacher in Meath, who showed the special unit of his old primary school, where he became a teacher for children with "severe" needs. 

“The main purpose of my job is to keep them safe and happy," he said. “If I can make them laugh, I'm doing a great job.” 

Empathy 

Mr Quinlan said “worldwide society is different from Irish society” when it comes to disability, having travelled to the US and France in the 1990s.  

“In Ireland they sort of slither around it - I just think education is definitely the way forward.” 

Mr Quinlan said we should be more open to discussing disabilities in Ireland – and finding humour where possible.  

He said he once visited his son’s school in his wheelchair – when a child said, “Look, he brought his Batmobile.” 

“All the kids started laughing, I started laughing – the teacher was mortified, but that’s the way it has to be.” 

You can order Mr Quinlan’s book And a Bang on the Ear, co-written by sports journalist Steve O'Rourke, here.  

Listen back here: