A fundraising campaign has been launched to help a 24-year-old Dublin Gaelic player, who was critically injured in London.

Cuala team member Sean Drummond - Drummo to his friends - suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was knocked down in March.

He has since undergone several surgeries.

On March 23rd, he was taken to the Royal London Hospital and brought straight to theatre, for life-saving surgery to stop the bleeding and to relieve pressure on his brain.

Within his first 72 hours he was on life support in the Acute Care Unit, and had to undergo two more emergency operations to remove large sections of his skull to reduce the pressure due to swelling.

For the next two months, he was in a coma.

In May, he underwent complex surgery to insert artificial plates in his skull - the first time that surgeons have replaced this much skull in a patient.

And in July, Sean was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability - where he is participating in a programme of intensive rehabilitation.

Sean Drummond | Image: GoFundMe

This facility specialises in treating people with prolonged disorders of consciousness.

Sean's friends say they have been told by medical professionals that recovery levels are hard to predict "as everyone's brain injuries are unique."

However on October 18th, he was awake and taking sips of water. He also decided he wanted to try a cold coffee for the first time.

His friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help with costs.

Sean's friend Conor Mullaly says they have a huge target.

"He's in a place in Putney, just outside of London, and there until January/February 2020.

"His time there is six months, and then we hope to move him on to another similar facility in the UK".

"The likelihood of him returning home in the near future is quite slim - so we'll probably have him home in the next 12 to 18 months.

"The care he's having over in the UK is excellent"

"The goal is €400,000, which is obviously quite substantial - but we're well on the way".