An inquest in Cork has heard that an 18-year-old hurler suffered a cardiac arrest after he was accidentally struck in the chest by a team-mate during a match.
The inquest was told that Kevin Quinn's heart went into electrical spasm and he died.
Mr Quinn from Boherash, Glanworth, Co Cork, was playing for his local team Harbour Rovers in a junior league final against Newtownshandrum in Cork on 13 August last year.
Around four minutes into the game the teenager clashed accidentally with a team-mate, Pat O'Brien. Mr O'Brien heard Kevin Quinn shout and when he turned around he saw Quinn on his knees holding his chest.
The teenager quickly lost consciousness and died, despite the efforts of a doctor, a nurse and an ambulance crew to resuscitate him.
An inquest in Mallow heard that Kevin Quinn had been involved in the accidental clash at the exact fraction of a second when his heart was vulnerable to going into electrical spasm.
Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest there was a particular moment in the cycle when the heart is pumping blood when it is vulnerable to blunt force trauma sending it into electrical spasm.
She said such trauma did not have to be excessive and there was a very low rate of rescue.
The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
