Trevor Martin sues Kilkee Golf Club trustees over spinal injury claim

Trevor Martin seeks €1.2m in High Court over spinal injury claim

A 69-year-old retired brewery manager is suing three trustees of Kilkee Golf Club for €1.2m, alleging a spinal cord injury sustained during a golf game in 2014, the Irish Examiner reported.

Trevor Martin, a former taxi driver from Tuam, Co Galway, claims the injury occurred on August 2, 2014, after he entered adjoining land to retrieve two golf balls hit out of bounds. According to the claim, Mr. Martin was climbing an embankment to return to the course when he fell backwards onto a dyke and struck his head. He reportedly lost consciousness and required an airlift to a hospital, where an MRI scan identified a spinal cord injury resulting from trauma to his spine.

The legal action centers on allegations of negligence against the golf club. Mr. Martin claims the club failed to construct an appropriate barrier between the course and the adjoining properties or to install necessary warning signs. The trustees of Kilkee Golf Club deny these claims.

Disputed details of the embankment fall

During High Court proceedings, the physical nature of the incident and Mr. Martin’s movements were scrutinized. In response to questions from the judge regarding why an experienced golfer would attempt to retrieve balls out of bounds, Mr. Martin stated he did not believe the action was dangerous and suggested the club was “forcing you to go along this path.”

When questioned by Mr. Justice Tony O’Connor about the lack of a foothold on the embankment, Mr. Martin argued that his golf shoes provided sufficient grip due to their spikes. He described the incline as being approximately three feet and four or five inches in height, noting, “A run, skip and jump and you are over it.”

The court also reviewed private detective footage and photographs intended to show Mr. Martin’s mobility. Mr. Martin disagreed with the implication of the footage, arguing it did not accurately reflect that his movements were unrestricted or unassisted in various situations. He maintains the €1.2m claim, which includes a significant portion for ongoing care costs, based on assessments provided by his experts.

The litigation has seen shifts in its formal allegations over time. In a 2017 personal injury summons, Mr. Martin alleged he tripped over an unprotected drop near the fairway on the seventh hole. His amended summons in 2026 updated the claim to specify the fall occurred while climbing the embankment into adjoining land. An engineer acting for Mr. Martin testified that, upon inspecting the seventh hole and its surroundings, the area was “a nightmare situation for golfers and not fair.”

Mr. Martin noted he chose not to pursue legal action against the farmer whose land he entered, stating he did not wish to “prosecute an innocent man.” The case continues.

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