Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modelling

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Alanna will undergo yet another surgery next month in a bid to reconstruct part of her eye socket (Image: Irish Mirror)
Alanna will undergo yet another surgery next month in a bid to reconstruct part of her eye socket (Image: Irish Mirror)

A brave young woman who was left blind in one eye after a horrific street attack says she's considering a career in modelling and won't let the attack ruin her life.

Alanna Quinn Idris, 18, suffered a ruptured eyeball, broken cheekbone and a shattered tooth in the attack on December 30, 2021, in Ballyfermot, Dublin.

This week her the man who injured Alanna, 19-year-old Darragh Lyons was sentenced to four and a half years after what the judge called a "savage attack".

Speaking to the Irish Sunday Mirror, Alanna criticised the sentence but revealed she is considering a career on the catwalk - once she gets her confidence back.

She said: “I genuinely would love to... I’m very self conscious and I can barely stand being in public knowing what my face looks like.

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"It makes me very self-conscious but if and when I overcome that I would love to give modelling a go.

Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modellingAlanna is considering a career on the catwalk - once she gets her confidence back (Irish Mirror)
Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modellingAlanna suffered a ruptured eyeball, broken cheekbone and a shattered tooth in the attack

“I just need to build up my confidence.” Alanna said she will undergo yet another surgery next month in a bid to reconstruct part of her eye socket.

She added: “It’s to level out my right side more or less, to help the prosthetic sit properly. It’s basically because my eye and the area around it has shrunk even more, it’s getting more sunken in so the prosthetic eye is not sitting right.

“Hopefully it will help the prosthetic eye to sit better and it will look right.” She added: “I’m waiting on another eye to be sent to me”

On Thursday, Judge Martin Nolan condemned what he described as the “savage attack” on Alanna by a group of young men.

Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modellingAlanna shared a video to her TikTok about her prosthetic eye
Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modellingAlanna was knocked unconscious after she was hit in the side of the face with the saddle of an electric scooter (Irish Mirror)

The judge said if Lyons – who admitted punching Alanna – had been older, the prison term would have been substantially longer.

Lyons also admitted assault causing harm to Alanna’s friend Louis O’Sullivan during the attack, which followed a brief verbal altercation at a bus stop.

Two other men facing trial in relation to the attack cannot be named.

The court heard that Alanna was knocked unconscious after she was hit in the side of the face with the saddle of an electric scooter, wielded by another person.

Brave teen who lost eye in brutal street attack considering career in modellingAlanna on her Debs night

Lyons did not wield any weapon in the attack, but he punched Alanna on the side of her face and was also involved in punching and kicking Louis.

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Alanna said despite not being happy with the sentence handed down to Lyons, she is just thankful he is now behind bars. She concluded: “Being told that what happened to me and the life that I lost was only worth four and a half years wasn’t the best to hear after all this

“From what I have been told, if the sentence is appealed there’s a chance he could get even less time.

“Regardless of that I’m happy that he’s been put away now even though the sentence was very much in his favour.”

Emma McMenamy

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