Rescuers recognised for acts of bravery in Dublin ceremony
Seven members of An Garda Síochána have been recognised at an awards ceremony in Dublin for their courage in the line of duty.
They were among 21 individuals presented with National Bravery Awards by Dáil Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Four of them — gardaí Thomas O’Griofa, David Hannon, Patrick Gallagher, and Sergeant Gerard Mullaney — were awarded certificates of bravery for rescuing a man from a smoke-filled house in Sligo.
Other members of the force who risked their own lives to aid others in peril include Garda Stephen Fahy, who, with civilian Adam McGoldrick, rescued a man from the Garavogue River in Sligo; and Reserve Garda Alan Burke and Garda Maria Freeley, who helped rescue a man from the River Corrib in Galway.
Of the examples of exceptional bravery, many involved river or sea rescues.
A bronze medal was awarded to Clodagh Hayes who, at the age of 14, saved a young boy from drowning in the River Lee in Cork.
Clodagh had just finished training at the Lee Rowing Club on the River Lee Marina and was with her father, when she saw a young boy in difficulty in the water. Even though the weather had been warm, the water conditions were treacherous due to a high tide, strong current, and cold temperature.
A life buoy had been thrown to the boy but, due to the tide, he was unable to grab hold of it and began to go under the water. Clodagh entered the water and swam over to the boy with a life buoy. He was brought to safety and subsequently made a full recovery.
In other citations, bronze medals were also awarded to Andrew Johnston, who rescued a woman from a car that had entered a river at Carrickmore, Saint Johnston, Co Donegal; and to Paul McInerney and Eugene Duff, who sought to save a man from drowning after he had a heart attack and fell into the sea at Kilmuckride, Co Wexford. They performed CPR on the man, but he died.
Another bronze medal winner, Martin Cullinane, saved the lives of two young boys who had fallen into the sea at Mariners Quay in Passage West, Co Cork.
The ceremony at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, brought recipients together to receive certificates of bravery and, for five of them, bronze medals of bravery as well.
“The presentation of the National Bravery Awards is an opportunity to celebrate the courage of ordinary people who risk their own safety to protect their fellow citizens,” said the Ceann Comhairle. “In a world often dominated by bad news, it is important to recognise the sacrifices made by good people, whose selflessness can serve to remind us of our duty of care to one another. It is an honour to present awards to 21 deserving recipients and I thank them for their courage.”
