Revealed: The extraordinary and bizarre therapy method John Conlon used to save severed finger

This one isn't for the faint-hearted

After leaving his wedding ring on during training last July, a freak accident saw his ring caught in a fence, severing his finger.

Conlon was told there would only be a 20 per cent chance of saving his finger, risking his future hurling career, but after receiving surgery, the 36-year-old returned to action at the weekend as Clare beat Down at Cusack Park.

And in an Irish Independent interview with his former Clare team-mate Colin Ryan, it has been revealed the extraordinary and bizarre lengths Conlon went to repair the finger and return to action.

“John sat there with leeches on his finger to get the regrowth back in his finger," Ryan said. "This fella would’ve sat there for 48 hours doing that and he has such a positive attitude about it.

“Even when I was texting him over and back at the time, you could just sense in him that, ‘this is it, this is what’s happening and it’s going to be alright’.”

Leech therapy promotes tissue growth and healing by using saliva containing bioactive compounds. It improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation, and accelerates healing in damaged areas.

Despite being told he was likely to lose his finger, Conlan was determined to return to action.

"It was a massive challenge, even in terms of saving it," he said this week. "Just even getting out and getting the fitness back up to that level, it’s not easy, especially at 36. There were a lot of dark nights running in the field on your own and trying to get over that hump."