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Irishman seriously injured after being gored in Spanish bull run
The Irish victim lives in Spain and regularly joins these controversial events
An Irish man remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital after being gored in the chest during a bull run in Spain. The 43-year-old, who has lived in Spain for several years and regularly takes part in bull runs across the country, was seriously injured on Saturday May 31 during the San Fernando de Henares patron saint festivities near Madrid.
The incident occurred during the town’s traditional bull run, held along the Paseo de los Pinos. At some point during the run, the man was struck and gored in the chest by one of the animals.
He was treated at the scene before being rushed by ambulance to Madrid’s Gregorio Marañón Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery that lasted four hours.
In addition to the chest wound, the man is also reported to have suffered head trauma and a possible retinal detachment after being thrown into the air by the bull. By late Saturday afternoon, he was said to be stable and out of immediate danger while awaiting transfer to a hospital ward.
Bull runs remain a highly controversial tradition in many parts of Spain. In San Fernando de Henares, the events are considered a central part of the local celebration honouring the town’s patron saint, San Fernando. Variations of these events are held across the country, often drawing both passionate supporters and strong criticism from animal rights advocates.
Elsewhere in Spain, particularly in coastal towns like Denia, a different version of the spectacle known as Bous a la Mar involves participants attempting to lure bulls into the sea. This version, while only held in a few regions such as Valencia and Cataluña, has been officially recognised as a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest since 1993.
Despite that designation, animal rights groups continue to campaign for its abolition, claiming that the tradition is cruel and tortuous for the animals and dangerous for spectators.
This isn't the first Irish injury at such an event either. Back in 2023, an Irishman was left with serious injuries in the Murcia town of Blanca after being gored by a bull during the traditional run that forms part of the San Roque patron saint festivities.
The risks of bull running are well documented. During last year’s famous San Fermín festival in Pamplona, six people were taken to hospital after one of the runs, including a man gored in the mouth and several others suffering trauma injuries.
The event, popularised by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, has resulted in at least 16 recorded deaths since 1910, with the last fatality occurring in 2009. Hundreds of injuries are reported each and every year.
Image: Óscar Torres de Juan via Wikimedia Commons
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