Alanna Quinn Idris was just 17 years old when she and a male friend were attacked with hurleys and a bicycle seat by four youths in Ballyfermot in December 2021. Alanna suffered several serious injuries, most notably damage to her right eye — with her losing sight in that eye following numerous surgeries.
Nearly three years on from the attack, Alanna revealed that she underwent five surgeries to reconstruct her eye socket and fit a prosthetic — revealing that she decided to go for a hazel prosthetic rather than her other eye’s more natural dark brown color.
‘It took five surgeries to get here, and they were all under general anesthetic,’ she told the Irish Examiner. "There was emergency surgery on the night it happened, then they did a bone graft to rebuild the socket."
Alanna added that she’s delighted with her new eye, saying that she "didn’t want it to be the exact same as I was before. My other eye is dark brown. I said I’d go for hazel."
She is set to have another surgery for her bottom eyelid in September.
Two men — Josh Cummins and Darragh Lyons, both 19 — were sentenced to three years and four-and-a-half years respectively for their assault on Alanna and Louis O’Sullivan, who added that she was disappointed at their sentencing last year.
Alanna and a friend of hers were horrifically assaulted by four men in December 2021, with her losing her eye after she was hit with a bicycle saddle.
"I’m not allowed to bend down because I can feel all the pressure build up in my head, and it’s like my head is going to explode," she explained on Newstalk at the time. She also added that there is "a lot of physical" effects from her injuries.
"I have to be really careful with stairs and stuff, and spatial awareness. I really struggle with going outside with the sun, like, bright lights," Alanna added. She said that it is "the way life is now."
Alanna added that while two people involved in the assault were jailed, the person who did the direct damage to her eye wasn’t identified.
Speaking outside the courts following Cummins’ and Lyons’ convictions, she said "I appreciate what the judge has done for me" – but added "I feel kind of let down."
She said she will remember the attack "every day for the rest of my life" and that she does not believe Cummins is remorseful.
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