A MAN WHO has allegedly shot with a stray bullet in a suspected hunting accident during a football match in Rear Cross, Co Tipperary, has been discharged from hospital.

On Saturday, the man was shot in the arm while playing football in what gardaí believe was a freak hunting accident, The Journal understands. Deer hunting is a common pastime in the woodland near where the football game was taking place.

The man was treated at the scene by emergency service personnel, and was later brought to University Hospital Limerick.

His injuries are not life-threatening and he has since been discharged from the hospital.

The Journal understood that gardaí in Tipperary are still searching for the person who fired the round, in the believed hunting mishap, to come forward.

Gardaí this morning renewed their appeal for witnesses with information related to the incident to come forward. 

The incident happened shortly after 9pm during a soccer match which was being played under floodlights.

Rearcross FC said on their website yesterday that the club is “totally shocked”.

The club said the man was a part of the Junior B team, who were playing a Division two league game when the “very serious incident occurred”.

The club said: “We are glad to say that our player is well and was discharged from hospital earlier this morning, we wish him a speedy recovery and to let him know that the whole Club is thinking of him and his family at this time.”

Michael Collins, Children’s Officer and coaching staff of Ballymackey FC, said the game was taking place between his club and Rear Cross FC on Saturday night.

Collins told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland today that the incident took place about 10 minutes into the second half.

He said: “There was a throw in on the far-side of the pitch and suddenly there was a pop – it didn’t actually sound like a gunshot – but then a Rear Cross player, in quite a state of pain, fell to his knees.”

The coach said the pitch was cleared and an ambulance was called once the group discovered that the man had sustained a gunshot injury to his arm.

Collins added said that the possibility that the man was struck by a stray round from someone hunting nearby was “established pretty quickly”.

He said: “Hunting is quite prevalent in the area so I guess people probably thought that’s more likely what it was.

“But, there’s always the fear that there could be a second [shot] so to get everyone to a safe spot was the priority.”

Collins said the pitch is surrounded by woodland and is rural. He added that “60 or 70″ people were watching or participating in the game at the time – which he added will probably have to be replayed at some point in the future.