Tag Archives: Caitriona Lucas

AN Post has today (Thursday) issued two stamps marking the Irish Coast Guard’s provision of search, rescue and monitoring services at sea, on the coast and waterways of Ireland.  The stamps designed by Vermillion Design, are based on an original painting by the late Caitriona Lucas, who sadly lost her life in Kilkee while volunteering with the Coast Guard on September 12, 2016. Members of the Irish Coast Guard and Bernard Lucas, widower of Caitriona, unveiled the set of stamps in the GPO while a Coast Guard team displayed the new stamps in Dublin Bay.  The artwork depicts a rescue team working at sea, both in the air and on the water. The scene in the painting was divided into two stamps by Vermillion Design. The Irish Coast Guard responds to maritime and inland search and rescue emergencies with its main objective to reduce the loss of life on lakes, waterways, rivers, sea and coastal areas.  The brave men and …

ACROSS the May Bank Holiday weekend, Kilkee had no coast guard service available in the event of an emergency. A source has told The Clare Champion that the limited service the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard had been providing was further down-graded, following a recent training incident. It has also been claimed that the current coast guard crew have not recently passed an Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) in more than two years. The Clare Champion contacted the Department of Transport on Wednesday for a comment on the claims, but it had not responded at the time of going to press. “The coast guard will say that they have a boat. We all know they have a boat but they don’t have a crew. Every time they need to go in the water, they need to bring an instructor down from Maritime SAR to even get on the water to do the training. There are about six people who …

Aberystwyth University in Wales has awarded a posthumous BSc degree in Information and Library Studies to Caitríona Lucas. Caitríona died during a search and rescue mission with the coastguard service after the lifeboat capsized in rough seas at Kilkee last September. Caitríona, 41, from Ballyvaughan, began her BSc degree in Information and Library Studies in June 2015. She studied by distance learning whilst also bringing up a family, working as a librarian for Clare County Council, and volunteering for the Search and Rescue Dog Association. She also completed over 700 hours every year as a volunteer with the Doolin Coast Guard in Ireland. Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Professor Judy Broady-Preston, director of the Institute of Professional Development, said,  “Caitríona Rós Lucas died on September 12, 2016 whilst on active service as a volunteer with the Irish coast Guard during a search for a missing person.  Caitriona joined the service in 2006 and served with her husband, Bernard who joins us today, …

THE late Caitríona Lucas was posthumously named Clare person of the year at a ceremony in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon last night. Over 300 people were in attendance at the Clare Association function, as the award was accepted by the late Ms Lucas’ husband Bernard, her son Ben and daughter Emma. Speaking to The Champion at the Falls, Bernard said “It means an awful lot for all of us, for the family, the extended family, it’s a huge honour.” Bernard, who also volunteers with the coastguard, added, “it’s a very proud night for all of us and it’s a great honour to have. Unfortunately it’s posthumous, but she would be very, very honoured by it.” He also paid tribute to those who have helped him and his family since last September. “We’ve had a lot of support from friends and neighbours. It would have been very difficult without them, but we have great neighbours, great friends and great extended …

THE tragic sea accident off Kilkee last September, which claimed the life of Doolin Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitríona Lucas during a search and recovery operation, will be recalled at The Clare Association dinner in The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon on Friday, February 25. In recognition of her bravery and making the ultimate sacrifice, the association will be giving her a posthumous award by naming her its Clare Person of the Year for 2017. The 41-year-old Ballyvaughan woman, who lived in Liscannor, lost her life when she was one of three volunteers on board a rigid inflatable boat, which capsized in choppy conditions while taking part in the search for a missing man. The two other volunteers, one of whom was trapped in a cave for several hours, were rescued. The Clare Association usually holds its annual function at a Dublin venue but due to the special circumstances surrounding this year’s award, the decision was made to facilitate the North Clare …

A moving and emotional funeral mass for Caitríona Lucas heard the 41 year old mother of two described as “a gracious and wonderful woman,” by Liscannor parish priest Fr Denis Crosby. Thousands of people paid their respects at the Irish Coast Guard volunteer’s removal on Wednesday night and Liscannor church was packed to overflowing for Thursday’s funeral mass. She died following an accident on a coast guard rescue boat in Kilkee on Monday. President Michael D Higgns and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny were officially represented, while Transport Minister Shane Ross was amongt the congregation, which included several hundred people in the church grounds. Hundreds of Irish Coast Guard representatives were in attendance, along with representatives from all rescue services, local and national. The national flag is today at half mast on all state buildings across the country. Poignantly a big screen inside the church featured photos of the late Caitríona and her family. “She carried the light wonderfully into our …

Hundreds of mourners attended the repose of the remains of Caitríona Lucas at Liscannor Church this evening (Wednesday). They extended their sympathies to her husband, Bernard and her children, Ben and Emma and other family members. Caitríona lost her life at sea on Monday while she and two of her fellow coast guard team were on a search and rescue mission in Kilkee Bay. Funeral mass will be held on this Thursday at 11am and with burial afterwards in Kilmacreehy Cemetery, in Liscannor. A request has been made for family flowers only and donations, if desired, can be made to Doolin Rescue.

The funeral arrangements for  Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitríona Lucas (née Deely) have been announced. Caitríona Lucas lost her life at sea on Monday while she and two of her fellow coast guard team were on a rescue mission in Kilkee. She will be reposing at Liscannor Church this evening, Wednesday, from 5pm with funeral prayers at 8pm. Funeral mass will be held on Thursday at 11am and with burial afterwards in Kilmacreehy Cemetery, in Liscannor. A request has been made for family flowers only please and donations, if desired, can be made to Doolin Rescue. Meanwhile, Fr Joe Hourigan, parish priest of Lissycasey where missing man David McMahon is from, said, “Our community is in total sympathy with Catriona Lucas’ community.