Tag Archives: Lifeguard

  PEOPLE in Lahinch are mourning the loss of a community leader following the passing of Tomsie O’Sullivan. The long serving community activist died at his residence in Doonboy, Station Road, Lahinch, on St Patrick’s Day. After reposing in Lahinch Church on Friday, his Funeral Mass took place on Saturday morning before burial afterwards in the Old Cemetery, Ennistymon. While Tomsie was involved with numerous community organisations for decades, he is synonymous with the RNLI, who presented him with a Long Service Award for reaching 58 years with the organisation last September. The RNLI was very much a family affair as Tomsie’s children used to help him with church gate collections and flag days.   In an interview with the Clare Champion last year, Tomsie estimated the Lahinch branch used to raise between €6,000 to €8,000 annually over a 28-year period. Born in Main Street, Tomsie’s father, Thomas, who was a carpenter fell off a roof in the early fifties …

Volunteers honoured for contribution as foundations laid for Lahinch Rescue and Training Centre FOUR volunteers were honoured for their selfless contribution to water safety and life saving in Lahinch. Tomsie O’Sullivan, Odran O’Looney, Jarlath O’Looney and Richard Devereux have each committed much of their lives to voluntary water safety functions in the west Clare resort. They formed the Lahinch Search & Rescue Unit, fundraised, promoted water safety, and spent many hours on search and rescue missions in the Liscannor Bay area. On disbanding the Lahinch Search and Recovery company in 2018 they donated their existing equipment, including a rescue jetski to their successors, Water Safety Clare. These four gentlemen also became members of Water Safety Clare – a countywide voluntary life saving organisation since the 1930s – which continues to promote and develop the excellent work already started in the Lahinch area. Appropriately, Tomsie, Odran, Jarlath and Richard were invited to a ceremony to witness the foundation being laid for …

THE tragic death of a young Doora-Barefield lifeguard while he was surfing off the West Clare coast has sent shock waves throughout the county. Glowing tributes have been paid from Clare lifeguards, Doora-Barefield GAA club, Ennis RFC and others who experienced a cloud of “devastating grief” following the passing of Fionn O’Brien, Knockanean, Tulla Road, Ennis, on Monday. Ennis Parish Priest, Fr Tom Ryan, recalled last Monday a cloud of “devastating grief” descended on the Doora-Barefield parish, the town of Ennis, communities throughout Clare and on many young people who knew or were part of Fionn’s life. “I have heard very kind and genuine words about Fionn over the last few days. He was a good young man, a swimmer, lifeguard, water enthusiast and an accomplished hurler and footballer with his beloved club St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield. “There are occasions in life when no words seem appropriate, when we enter total sadness and desolation. “We are numbed and speechless since news …

A MINUTE’S silence was held at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District this week following the tragic death of young lifeguard Fionn O’Brien. Meanwhile, the chaplain of Fionn’s former secondary school in Ennis has offered its support to past and present students affected by the loss. The 20-year-old, who was from a well-known Ennis family and lived on the Tulla Road, died after getting into difficulty while surfing off Lough Donnell beach on Monday. Fionn has been remembered as a “wonderful, smiling and talented young man” by his former school Rice College. A statement issued on behalf of the school states, “The Staff and Board of Management of Rice College would like to extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the O’Brien family on the tragic death of their beautiful son, our past pupil, Fionn. To Fionn’s parents, Pat and Michelle, and his siblings Niall, Conor and Saidhbh, you are in our thoughts and prayers at this most …

There is major concern for the welfare of a local surfer, who has been airlifted for emergency medical treatment to University Hospital Limerick (UHL). The Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter R115 this morning transferred a man to University Hospital Limerick. According to a press statement issued by the Irish Coast Guard, the casualty got into difficulty while surfing in Lough Donnell, Quilty, CPR was administered to the casualty on scene and on route to hospital. The man is understood to have been a well known local lifeguard. It is believed that members of his family have been contacted to come to the UHL.    

CONCERN has been expressed about the lack of full time lifeguards in Lahinch seven days a week following a number of incidents in the sea last week. Ben Bennett of Ben’s Surf Clinic, Lahinch, has revealed eight volunteer lifeguards were involved in a total of 15 rescues and 25 assists last weekend as no Clare County Council lifeguards were rostered at the time. Mr Bennett told the Clare Champion Lahinch was extremely busy last weekends as was like “two Bank Holiday weekends rolled into one”. He explained a lot of people needed assistance in the water on Sunday due to the weather conditions and tides. There were two ambulance emergency call outs in the popular North Clare resort over the weekend including one for a suspected heart attack. Mr Bennett said there were two different incidences of missing children, one child got lost on the beach for about two hours, while a different child was found within 15 minutes. If …

For the first time ever during June, Clare County Council has extended lifeguard cover at the county’s four main beaches beyond the weekend. Lifeguard cover is being provided at Kilkee, Lahinch, Spanish Point and Fanore today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) from 3.30pm to 7.30pm to cater for the large number of people visiting the beaches in the late afternoon and evening during the current fine spell. With forecasts of continued dry and warm weather over the next 48 hours, Clare County Council is urging members of the public to be extra vigilant when participating in water-based activities. Clare McGrath, water safety development Officer with Clare County Council, is asking people to swim only in lifeguarded areas denoted by the lifeguard flags (red over yellow flags). She explained, “I would urge members of the public to observe notices on any beach or where they want to swim, and to observe the Lifeguard’s rules and regulations regarding off limit swimming locations. Anyone …