Responding to call-outs for 31 years

A MEMORIAL service to mark the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Ian Benson and JJ Harrington, as well as remembering the two other deceased members of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, was held on Tuesday night.
Prayers were also said for all those who have been lost off the coast of County Clare.
The service has been in operation for 31 years and Manuel DiLuica is a founder member currently holding the positions of PRO and chairman. He said the service was to honour the memory of Ian Benson and JJ Harrington, as well as Michael O’Gorman and Seamus Byrne, who lost his life while trying to save another.
“On April 14, 2002 a diver got into difficulties at the base of the cliffs at the West End in Kilkee. They had got separated from their group and tried to get ashore and they got into difficulties, in front of Seamus’ house. He went to assist but there were up to two metre swells so they were not ideal conditions and when other members of the service got to the scene, they found his body,” said Manuel.
The diver survived and Mr Byrne’s family were later presented with the Michael Heffernan gold medal for bravery by Minister Noel Ahern.
The service is very active today and has helped many people, says Manuel. “We have in excess of 50 members and we are totally voluntary. We have rescued in the region of 500 people and over 50 lost souls have been recovered. We cover the coast of Clare as far north as Doolin and around Loop Head and up as far as Foynes.”
As is the case with many voluntary organisations, funding is a big challenge at present. “It is hard at the moment, even though people are very generous always and every time we have a fundraiser it is well supported. We have a big fundraiser coming up at the start of June when a book called Kilkee Moments will be launched on the third. It’s a photography journal of Kilkee and it goes back almost 100 years. It will be launched in the Kilkee Marine Rescue Centre and we hope to raise between €80,000 and €100,000. It’s being done by Haidee McMahon from Cratloe and Jerome Murphy from Limerick.”
He said the organisation needs about €70,000 a year to operate and the funding it receives from the State doesn’t come anywhere near to matching this. “Last year, we spent in the region of €70,000 and we receive an annual subvention from the Department of the Environment of in the region of €5,000. Sports organisations around the country do fantastic work but the Sports Council gets an allocation of €30 million and the Community Rescue Boats of Ireland get €65,000 and there are 13 groups within that, including ourselves. In order to get our €5,000 we have to agree to spend the same amount or more. It is very underfunded and it is fantastic value for €5,000.”