Laois GAA club bans use of e-scooters and e-bikes

Sarah Slater

A second GAA club has banned the use of e-scooters and e-bikes on their grounds from immediate effect.

Graiguecullen GAA, located on the Laois/Carlow border, put the ban in place, which took “immediate effect” on Tuesday.

In a statement, the executive committee of the club said that they “do not want to encourage our young athletes to do so” as it is “illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to ride these”.

A spokesperson for the club confirmed the move to ban their use is in place since Tuesday.

The club has produced many famous Laois football players, including Tommy Murphy, Willie Brennan, Danny Doogue, Mick Haughney, Andy Fennell and Mark Timmons.

The club, founded in 1898, is the second to put a ban on the use of both as the executive committee of Erin's Isle GAA Club in Dublin's Finglas decided on Saturday to introduce a similar ban.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man remains in critical condition in hospital following has an e-scooter incident in Carlow Town on Tuesday morning.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the single vehicle road traffic incident in the Graiguecullen area of the town shortly after 11:30am.

In a statement, gardaí said the man, aged in his 20s, was “removed from the scene for treatment of injuries”. An emergency medical helicopter landed at nearby St Patrick’s Soccer Club and transferred the injured man, who is from Carlow town, to a hospital in Dublin.

It is understood that that the injured man has suffered serious injuries to his head and upper body when the e-scooter hit a wall.

The road along the Castlecomer Road near to St Clare’s Church was closed for several hours.

The incident was the second serious collision in Carlow town in nine days.

Leaving Certificate student Janis Ghirghircic Ozols from Willow Park, Carlow Town died when he and a friend fell from the e-scooter he was on with a friend as they travelled along the area of Carpenter’s Way between 8.30pm and 9pm on Monday of last week.

The teenager sustained serious injuries and was transported to St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The second, an adult male in his late teens, was medically assessed at the scene. He did not require immediate hospital treatment.

At his funeral Mass Monday Parish Priest Fr Thomas Little of Askea, Carlow Town, called for more safety features to be implemented around e-scooter use.

Fr Little told those gathered at The Holy Family Church, Askea, Carlow, that: “We know that everybody here in the church and town who heard of the sudden and sad death of Janis was deeply saddened and shocked. His passing even made national news.

“We discovered that many other people have suffered terrible accidents from e-scooters. While e-scooters in themselves give a great sense of freedom, a great sense of exhilaration, and a great sense of being able to go from one place to another it also has serious implications because of safety requirements.”

During his homily, Fr Little appealed to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to “come together and make arrangements that they (e-scooters) would become safer, maybe slowed down a bit more, maybe wear clothing and a helmet. Things that would be needed for the e-scooter. There is no doubt that Janis loved the freedom of the e-scooter and was able to share it with his friends.”

Last week, figures from Temple Street Children’s Hospital showed that six children have been placed on life support in just the past two weeks as a result of e-scooter crashes.

Speaking to RTÉ consultant neurosurgeon Professor Darach Crimmins said e-scooter crashes are the “single biggest cause of head trauma in children” and that over 400 children attended emergency departments across Children’s Health Ireland hospitals in Dublin for e-scooter injuries in 2025.