THE Banner County’s standing as the “spiritual home” of lifesaving in Ireland was acknowledged this week as a number of Clare people, and The Clare Champion, were honoured at Irish Water Safety’s national awards ceremony.

Chairman of IWS, Breda Collins, outlined that Clare has led the way in terms of lifesaving, both on the coast and inland. She highlighted the pioneering efforts made back in the early days of lifesaving right up to the present day, with Clare lifesavers recently bringing home medals from the World Lifesaving Championships in Australia.

At the ceremony, The Clare Champion was presented with a Media Appreciation Award in the provincial press category. The award was given in appreciation for covering water safety issues throughout the year.
Ms Collins stated, “We are very grateful to all media who support us in bringing the water safety message to a wider audience. Throughout the year, their sustained effort in assisting us with our safety message is second to none and we are indebted to them.”

The Clare Champion award was presented to editor Austin Hobbs. Speaking after the ceremony, he said, “The Clare Champion is humbled to receive this award, in that we are really providing coverage of people who are putting their lives on the line to help save others.”

Awards were also presented to Brendan McGrath from Clarecastle, who was named volunteer of the year 2012. Also, 85-year-old Paddy Casey and the late Peter Downes were awarded Just in Time Rescue Awards for their involvement in 15 rescues from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Fifteen-year-old Ennis girls Eve Copley, Ellen McMahon and Aisling O’Sullivan were also recognised for rescuing a woman from the River Fergus earlier this year.

In all, 26 rescuers from 22 dramatic near-death incidents received recognition at the awards in Dublin Castle on Tuesday.

Deputy John Perry, Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, presented the Just in Time Rescue Award to these rescuers in appreciation for saving so many lives.

“Tragically, an average of 140 drownings occur in Ireland every year,” commented Minister Perry, “and although that’s 140 too many, the figure would be even higher but for the dramatic efforts of these individuals, who saved others from drowning and the ongoing work of volunteers teaching swimming and rescue skills.

“I appeal to all adults to make themselves more aware of the dangers in, on and around water,” continued Minister Perry.

“It only takes seconds for tragedy to strike and this can so easily be avoided if people take responsibility for their own safety by learning about the hazards.

“I ask that people encourage friends and family to read Irish Water Safety’s guidelines at www.iws.ie so they don’t become a drowning statistic.”

Among the recipients of awards were members of the public, members of Irish ­Water Safety and other ­individuals and organisations from the media and corporate sector who assist in the ­reduction of drownings by supporting the work of Irish Water Safety throughout the year.

 

Paddy honoured for heroic rescue efforts

Peter O’Connell
EIGHTY-five year-old Paddy Casey from Spanish Point was one of the recipients of the Irish Water Safety Just in Time awards in, Dublin on Tuesday. Paddy was involved in several rescues off Spanish Point in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. In fact, he is credited with saving 10 lives between 1944 and 1962, while his great friend Peter Downes (RIP) saved five people from drowning in the same era. Peter was honoured with a posthumous award at the ceremony this week.

Ironically, Paddy should have received recognition for his lifesaving work many decades ago.

“An application was made to whoever was running the swimming and lifesaving association in the country that time, with a view to an award being presented. The application was made and they had no problem granting it. But there was a condition at that time that the local Garda sergeant had to sign it and verify it. When it came back to Miltown to the local Garda sergeant, he wouldn’t sign it.

“My mother and myself had a run-in with the sergeant once or twice. In a very dignified manner, my mother told him what she thought of him. Which wasn’t that of good character. He held that against us,” Paddy recounted.

Paddy, who was appointed a lifeguard in 1943, was one of the first officially appointed lifeguards in Ireland at a time when training and equipment were virtually non-existent.

“I replaced a brother of mine. He had been a lifeguard with Peter but he went to England. Three of us applied for the vacancy and there was a test. I got it. I had an advantage because I used to be with the brother and Peter. I was nearly as well able to swim and do the lifesaving as they were. That’s how I got it,” he explained.

Support services were scarce and communication was limited to word of mouth. Paddy was one of the first members of the Miltown Malbay Swimming and Life Saving Club, which was established in 1937. “It was the first one in the Free State,” he told The Clare Champion on Wednesday.

One of the many rescues involving Paddy and Peter Downes was on July 15, 1944. Paddy was patrolling the Spanish Point beach when he noticed a woman in distress in the water. He swam to her aid and brought her ashore. He was assisted by Peter in the latter stages of the rescue. Five years later on August 14, 1949, three people got into difficulty off Spanish Point. Peter swam to their assistance while Paddy also rushed to help.

After fighting his way through 5ft, waves he brought one of the female swimmers to safety and returned to retrieve a male swimmer. He then went in search of Peter and the third swimmer. They had drifted seawards. Both lifeguards took the female swimmer to safety and performed CPR, which aided her recovery.

Away from lifesaving, Paddy worked in the nearby generating station. He attributes his age and good health to an organic diet, including goat’s milk.

“It was all organic food we had although if we heard the word we wouldn’t know what it was. It was all our own vegetables. It could be rabbit stew today and bacon and cabbage tomorrow. Definitely no meat on Friday. We’d have the fish on the Friday,” he remembered.

“My mother insisted that my father kept two goats. She made him get the best breed of goats as regards milk production. We had goats milk for about seven months of the year,” Paddy said.

With the mention of vegetables, they indirectly saved the life of a stricken female swimmer in the 1960s in another dramatic rescue involving Paddy.

“I had a little vegetable garden overlooking ­Spanish Point beach. There were parsnips that needed thinning. The weather was ­exceptionally warm, so much so that at 7.30am on a summer’s morning, the dew had evaporated.

“I went over to do the thinning but I had forgotten about the high walls around the garden. The place was sheltered so the dew was still on the foliage of the parsnip. So I strolled out and stood on cliff for a while,” he recalled

“All that was on the beach was a male and what transpired to be his partner, who was in the water. I turned to come home and I thought I heard a shout but I didn’t see anyone.

“But then a definite shout came from the beach. The woman had got into trouble. So I went down and I took her in. The moral of the story is if the foliage on the parsnip had been dry, that woman would probably have drowned,” he maintained.

Just another example of Paddy Casey’s bravery and lifesaving skill during his years keeping an eye on swimmers in his beloved Spanish Point beach.