Claudine Keane appeals for prayers after her uncle is seriously injured in crash in Cork

Claudine, who is the wife of former Irish soccer international Robbie Keane, made the appeal on social media following a serious crash last week.

Well know sports commentator Paudie Palmer (64) was seriously injured in a car accident near Innishannon in Co Cork.

He is currently recovering in Cork University Hospital.

Mr Palmer is a brother of Claudine’s father Denis and is a native of Templenoe in Co Kerry but moved to Cork early in his career as a journalist.

Mr Palmer who is also Claudine Keane’s godfather is the well-known voice of sport on Cork’s 103 FM radio station.

In a moving post on twitter Claudine Keane tweeted the need for prayers for "my lovely talented charismatic uncle Paudie Palmer from Cork to Dublin and everywhere in between. Love you uncle Paudie, my godfather!

"Life has so many unexpected turns please god this one turns out ok."

The two-vehicle incident happened at around 10 am at Dunkereen Cross near Upton on the Innishannon-Crossbarry road in Co Cork.

Gardaí closed the road for several hours and local diversions were put in place to enable a technical examination to be carried out.

Paudie Palmer was immediately removed to Cork University Hospital where his condition was described as “critical but stable” on Thursday.

It has been a tough week for the Keane family. Earlier this week Robbie lost his beloved grandmother Bernadette (Ettie) Keane whose late son was Robbie Keane Senior, Robbie’s late father. Her funeral takes place on Saturday morning December 31st at St Agnes’s Church in Crumlin village in Dublin. Just two months previously Robbie lost his mother Ann after a long battle with lung cancer.