Ceann Comhairle presents National Bravery Awards for 20 Acts of Bravery

Today’s ceremony at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, brought recipients together to receive their Certificates of Bravery. There were also six Bronze Medals for Bravery awarded, while another six recipients received Silver Medals for Bravery.

The annual honours are awarded by Comhairle na Míre Gaile – the Deeds of Bravery Council – which was founded in 1947 to enable State recognition of exceptional Acts of Bravery. The Council is chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and includes the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, the Lord Mayors of Dublin and Cork, the Garda Commissioner, the President of the Association of City & County Councils, and the Chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

The Ceann Comhairle said: “The National Bravery Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate the courage of our emergency services and people who risk their own safety to protect their fellow citizens. It is important to recognise the sacrifices made by people whose selflessness can serve to remind us of our duty of care to one another. It is an honour to present these 20 Bravery Awards today, including the posthumous award, and I thank all recipients for their courage.”

The recipients, as listed in order of citation, are:

• Mr Adrian Brennan, Kilkenny – Certificate of Bravery
• Retired Garda Desmond Brennan, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery
• Garda Pauric Deery, Sligo – Certificate of Bravery
• Mr Basil Harte, Sligo – Certificate of Bravery
• Mr James Hennessy, Cork – Certificate of Bravery
• Ms Olive Murphy, Cork – Certificate of Bravery
• Mr Aonghus O’Briain, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery
• Mr Michael Hempenstall, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery
• Garda Donal Tully, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal
• Garda David Currivan, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal
• Garda Cathal McGeoghan, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal
• Mr James Gallagher Senior, Donegal – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal
• Mr Mickey ‘Red Michael’ Gallagher. Donegal – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal
• Mr Michael Gallagher Senior (RIP), Donegal – Certificate of Bravery and Bronze Medal (Posthumous)
• Garda Seán Breheny, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal
• Mr Gary Kennedy, Mayo – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal
• Garda Darren Blackwell, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal
• Sergeant Gavin Coleman, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal
• Garda M.J. Carroll, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal
• Garda Jason Walsh, Dublin – Certificate of Bravery and Silver Medal

For more information on the National Bravery Awards: https://www.bravery.ie/

Photographs from the event at Dublin’s Farmleigh House are available from Maxwell Photography from 4pm today.

Please contact office@maxwellphotography.ie  or 01 830 8072 for queries related to photography.

For broadcast footage, contact Oireachtas TV at 01 618 3789 or broadcast@oireachtas.ie

LIST OF CITATIONS

CITATION No 1

At approximately 1700hrs on 25 November 2012, Gardaí were informed that a woman had jumped into the River Nore at Greensbridge, Kilkenny.

On arrival at the scene they observed that a person who lived nearby, Adrian Brennan, had entered the water of his own volition. He pulled the woman to safety and took her to his residence where he sought medical attention for her. Adrian provided dry clothing for the woman prior to the arrival of the emergency services.  

For his actions, Adrian Brennan is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 2

On 6July 2013, retired Garda Desmond Brennan was socialising with his son, who was also a Garda but was off-duty at the time, when they received a report that a robbery was in progress at Paddy Power Bookmakers nearby in Saggart, Co. Dublin. They immediately went to the scene.

On arrival, they noticed two men on a motorcycle that was just about to leave the scene. They also noted that one of the men had what appeared to be a handgun. Without hesitation, Desmond Brennan and his son approached the motorcycle as it passed them and managed to unbalance the vehicle knocking it on its side. They tackled the two robbers, securing the handgun and restrained them on the ground until the arrival of Garda assistance.

For his actions, retired Garda Desmond Brennan is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 3

At approximately 0200hrs on the 17 September 2018, Garda Pauric Deery and another Garda received a call over the radio in their patrol car.  They were informed that a young girl had jumped into the Garavogue River at Rockwood Parade, Sligo.

When they arrived, there was a large crowd of people near the river’s edge. They quickly made their way towards the crowd and observed a girl in the river holding onto a lifebuoy that had been deployed by a member of the public. The flow in the river was quite strong at the time due to recent heavy rains.

The two Gardaí climbed over the railings beside the river. Garda Deery, with the assistance of the other Garda, was then lowered into the water beside the victim where he was able to grab hold of her while also holding the wall beside the river to prevent being carried away by the current. Garda Deery lifted the victim so that the other Garda was able to grab her hand and pull her over the railings to safety.

For his actions, Garda Pauric Deery is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 4

At approximately 0530hrs on 2 February 2017, two Gardaí responded to a call concerning a woman in distress in the Garavogue river in Sligo.

When they arrived, they saw a young woman who appeared unconscious, face down in the river accompanied by another young women nearby in the water. A third woman standing upright in the river and clearly hysterical was also observed.

One of the Gardaí made his way from the footbridge onto a steel framed gantry which was located in the middle of the river while the Garda Sergeant instructed the girls to turn their friend over and get her head out of the water. Following the Sergeant’s instructions, they got the young girl over to the steel gantry where the other Garda was now located.  Together with the assistance of the girls in the river, they lifted the girl from the river and onto the frame.

While this was being done, the man who reported this incident to the Gardaí, Basil Harte, made his way into the river to help the two girls out of the water.

For his actions, Basil Harte is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 5

On 16 October 2017, Paramedic James Hennessy and Advanced Paramedic Olive Murphy were on duty at Clonakilty Ambulance Station in West Cork during the National “Status Red Wind Warning” for ex-Hurricane Ophelia.  At 1252hrs, they received an emergency call to an area near Ballineen, West Cork.

The call was to an elderly patient (a lady in her nineties) whose electrically powered home mains oxygen had stopped working due to a power cut. The patient had no oxygen and no alternative plan of care for a power interruption. The crew responded immediately. 

Fallen trees blocked many routes. Alternative routes, though passable, were in a dangerous condition. On more than one occasion, they had to leave the safety of their ambulance, endangering themselves, and use a hacksaw to clear a path. This trip which would usually only take 13 to 19 minutes took more than 45 minutes on this day.  The patient was safely moved to the ambulance.   The return journey to Bantry General Hospital was again littered with fallen trees, debris etc. They eventually reached the hospital at 1500hrs where the patient was safely handed over.

For their actions, James Hennessy and Olive Murphy are each awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 6

On the 8 January 2016 at approximately 1400hrs, Michael Hempenstall, who was 73 years old at the time, returned to his family home on Clonliffe Avenue, Ballybough, Dublin 3 with his shopping.

As he approached his front door, he noticed that it was slightly open. When he entered the hall, a man ran down the stairs, grabbed him and forcefully pulled him into the sitting room where he pushed him onto the couch. The intruder shouted at Mr. Hempenstall that there were other people in the house in order to intimidate and frighten him. While still being assaulted and in an effort to escape, Mr. Hempenstall ran to a window which he managed to push open and called out for help.

A neighbour, Aonghus O’Briain heard his cries and responded. As he entered the house through the front door, he saw the intruder assaulting Mr. Hempenstall and without hesitation, confronted the intruder. During the interaction, the intruder broke the glass panel in the back door and cut his hand.  Mr. O’Briain overpowered the intruder and held him in a headlock while he tried to break free.  Another neighbour who also responded to the cry for help assisted Mr. O’Briain in restraining the attacker. A further neighbour who heard the commotion entered the house, and Mr. Hempenstall called out to her to call the Gardaí, which she did. Mr. Hempenstall was also instrumental in containing the intruder who was subsequently arrested and is currently serving his sentence in Mountjoy Prison.

For their actions Aonghus O’Briain and Michael Hempenstall are each awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 7

At 1245hrs on 31 October 2018, Gardaí were contacted by a woman who reported that her daughter had left her house in a distressed state. Gardaí began searches of the area including the coastline.

Two hours into the search, Garda Donal Tully and another Garda observed a young woman matching the daughter’s description on the beach at White Rock, Killiney, Co. Dublin.  They made their way to the beach but by the time they reached her location, the young woman had entered the sea. Garda Tully immediately entered the sea, swam a considerable distance out to her, and attempted to rescue her. She struggled with Garda Tully and resisted him as he tried to drag her to land. Garda Gavin who had located a lifebuoy, entered the water at knee-level to assist Garda Tully.

Both Gardaí were then able to restrain the young woman and pull her to safety before being joined by other Gardaí involved in the search.

For his actions, Garda Donal Tully is awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 8

At 2045hrs on 30 November 2015, two males entered the Spar shop on Clogher Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 wearing balaclavas and armed with a metal bar and a meat cleaver. They robbed the premises and subjected the two employees and a number of members of the public with threats of violence. Money was taken and both suspects then fled the shop, running onto Clogher Road in the direction of Sundrive Road.

Garda David Currivan and Garda Cathal McGeoghan were in a patrol car at the opposite end of Clogher Road and were approached by a member of the public who informed them about the robbery. When they arrived at the scene, they saw the two men running from the shop. The patrol car pulled up behind the two suspects and Garda McGeoghan called on both suspects to halt. Both suspects raised their weapons and advanced towards Garda McGeoghan, who was forced to deploy his pepper spray to defend himself.   The suspects turned and fled while Garda McGeoghan gave chase on foot.

As they ran, the suspects began discarding the proceeds of the robbery, along with their disguises, but retained their weapons. Garda Currivan meanwhile, drove ahead of the suspects and attempted to block their escape routes with the patrol car. Both suspects then turned and attempted to assault Garda McGeoghan. One suspect tried to strike Garda McGeoghan with the metal bar and he was again forced to deploy his pepper spray to defend himself. Ultimately, he was able to physically tackle this suspect, disarming him of the metal bar and place him under arrest.

The second suspect tried to flee the scene and Garda Currivan exited the patrol car and attempted to apprehend him. The second suspect attempted to strike Garda Currivan with the meat cleaver without success. The second suspect then began to run at Garda McGeoghan in what appeared to Garda McGeoghan to be an attempt to free the first suspect who was arrested. Again, Garda McGeoghan was forced deploy his pepper spray to defend himself and to retain custody of the first suspect who he was still attempting to restrain on the ground.

The second subject then broke off his advance and ran towards Clogher Road pursued by Garda Currivan where he scaled a wall at a house on Clogher Road. Garda Currivan tried to follow him, but lost sight of him. The assistance of the Garda Air Support Unit was sought and a short while later, members of that Unit observed the second suspect moving through gardens in the vicinity of Clogher Road. He was promptly arrested. All monies stolen in the course of the robbery were retrieved either on the suspect’s persons or in their immediate vicinity.

For their actions, Garda David Currivan and Garda Cathal McGeoghan are each awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 9

One night in August 1956, a punt arrived into a sound at Roan Inish Island which is near Port Noo in Western Donegal, as James Gallagher, Michael Gallagher (R.I.P.) and Mickey (Red Michael) Gallagher were lobster fishing on their half-decker, Irine. There were 18 people on board the punt, mainly young children, and none of them were wearing lifejackets.

A breeze was picking up as the punt moved off and it took wash over the bow. A swift retreat towards the stern by the passengers swamped the outboard engine. Within seconds, all 18 were in the water. The Gallaghers got into one boat and started firing ropes to pull them out. A yacht fishing for Pollack about 100 yards away steamed over to help. Two young brothers who were still in the water swam towards the yacht’s stern. One of the boys got caught up in the propeller. The yacht now without power and with the boy’s dead body trapped underneath was being blown towards shore by the wind. The Gallaghers got a rope and towed it to safety. All the while, they were trying to calm the situation, while scanning the water for any more survivors. Thirteen people were rescued by the fishermen that night.

For their actions, James Gallagher Senior and Mickey (Red Michael) Gallagher are each awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery. Michael Gallagher Senior is awarded a posthumous Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 10

On 26 June 2018, a man was observed standing over the railing of the Snugborough Road / N3 Flyover in Dublin.  As Garda Seán Breheny along with another Garda approached the man, other Gardaí arrived and attempted to block the fast-flowing traffic underneath.

As a Dublin Bus approached underneath the bridge, the man pushed himself back against the bridge railing and jumped. Garda Breheny ran to the railing, reached over, grabbed the man by his left arm and swung him back over the railing where he was subdued. Garda Breheny put his own life at risk by carrying out this manoeuvre and both could have fallen to their deaths.

For his actions, Garda Seán Breheny is awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 11

In the summer of 1976, a fourteen-year-old boy found himself in difficulties in the sea at the Point, Westport, Co. Mayo. Three friends of his were on a pier looking on in horror.

Gary Kennedy who was also a friend of the boy was cycling nearby and saw him in the water. After unsuccessfully trying to untangle the ropes of a nearby lifebuoy, Gary dived into the water, made his way over to the boy and brought him back to the pier where he made a full recovery.

For his actions, Gary Kennedy is awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 12

At approximately 1900hrs on 26 September 2018, Garda Sergeant Gavin Coleman and Garda M.J. Carroll responded to a call that a man was standing on the parapet of the M50 Bridge over the Strawberry Beds in Dublin. Garda Darren Blackwell and Garda Jason Walsh joined them shortly after.

The man then made an effort to jump off the bridge. The Gardaí intervened and ended up struggling with the man, and managed to hold on to him. The Gardaí involved put themselves at great risk including that of plunging to their deaths.

After managing to pull the man back across the barriers, Sergeant Coleman, Garda Carroll and the man fell off the gantry and fell 7 feet onto the M50 roadway. Garda Walsh had to grab Garda Blackwell’s legs to prevent him being pulled over as well. The man fell on top of the Gardaí.

Sergeant Coleman was knocked unconscious and Garda Carroll suffered bruising to his hip. Garda Blackwell suffered minor injuries to both arms. Sergeant Coleman and Garda Carroll were taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. Sergeant Coleman received seven stitches to his head and suffered severe bruising. Garda Carroll sustained severe bruising and soft tissue damage to his hips.

For their actions, Garda Darren Blackwell, Garda Sergeant Gavin Coleman, Garda M.J. Carroll and Garda Jason Walsh are each awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

LIST OF CITATIONS

CITATION No 1

At approximately 1700hrs on 25 November 2012, Gardaí were informed that a woman had jumped into the River Nore at Greensbridge, Kilkenny.

On arrival at the scene they observed that a person who lived nearby, Adrian Brennan, had entered the water of his own volition. He pulled the woman to safety and took her to his residence where he sought medical attention for her. Adrian provided dry clothing for the woman prior to the arrival of the emergency services.  

For his actions, Adrian Brennan is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 2

On 6July 2013, retired Garda Desmond Brennan was socialising with his son, who was also a Garda but was off-duty at the time, when they received a report that a robbery was in progress at Paddy Power Bookmakers nearby in Saggart, Co. Dublin. They immediately went to the scene.

On arrival, they noticed two men on a motorcycle that was just about to leave the scene. They also noted that one of the men had what appeared to be a handgun. Without hesitation, Desmond Brennan and his son approached the motorcycle as it passed them and managed to unbalance the vehicle knocking it on its side. They tackled the two robbers, securing the handgun and restrained them on the ground until the arrival of Garda assistance.

For his actions, retired Garda Desmond Brennan is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 3

At approximately 0200hrs on the 17 September 2018, Garda Pauric Deery and another Garda received a call over the radio in their patrol car.  They were informed that a young girl had jumped into the Garavogue River at Rockwood Parade, Sligo.

When they arrived, there was a large crowd of people near the river’s edge. They quickly made their way towards the crowd and observed a girl in the river holding onto a lifebuoy that had been deployed by a member of the public. The flow in the river was quite strong at the time due to recent heavy rains.

The two Gardaí climbed over the railings beside the river. Garda Deery, with the assistance of the other Garda, was then lowered into the water beside the victim where he was able to grab hold of her while also holding the wall beside the river to prevent being carried away by the current. Garda Deery lifted the victim so that the other Garda was able to grab her hand and pull her over the railings to safety.

For his actions, Garda Pauric Deery is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 4

At approximately 0530hrs on 2 February 2017, two Gardaí responded to a call concerning a woman in distress in the Garavogue river in Sligo.

When they arrived, they saw a young woman who appeared unconscious, face down in the river accompanied by another young women nearby in the water. A third woman standing upright in the river and clearly hysterical was also observed.

One of the Gardaí made his way from the footbridge onto a steel framed gantry which was located in the middle of the river while the Garda Sergeant instructed the girls to turn their friend over and get her head out of the water. Following the Sergeant’s instructions, they got the young girl over to the steel gantry where the other Garda was now located.  Together with the assistance of the girls in the river, they lifted the girl from the river and onto the frame.

While this was being done, the man who reported this incident to the Gardaí, Basil Harte, made his way into the river to help the two girls out of the water.

For his actions, Basil Harte is awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 5

On 16 October 2017, Paramedic James Hennessy and Advanced Paramedic Olive Murphy were on duty at Clonakilty Ambulance Station in West Cork during the National “Status Red Wind Warning” for ex-Hurricane Ophelia.  At 1252hrs, they received an emergency call to an area near Ballineen, West Cork.

The call was to an elderly patient (a lady in her nineties) whose electrically powered home mains oxygen had stopped working due to a power cut. The patient had no oxygen and no alternative plan of care for a power interruption. The crew responded immediately. 

Fallen trees blocked many routes. Alternative routes, though passable, were in a dangerous condition. On more than one occasion, they had to leave the safety of their ambulance, endangering themselves, and use a hacksaw to clear a path. This trip which would usually only take 13 to 19 minutes took more than 45 minutes on this day.  The patient was safely moved to the ambulance.   The return journey to Bantry General Hospital was again littered with fallen trees, debris etc. They eventually reached the hospital at 1500hrs where the patient was safely handed over.

For their actions, James Hennessy and Olive Murphy are each awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 6

On the 8 January 2016 at approximately 1400hrs, Michael Hempenstall, who was 73 years old at the time, returned to his family home on Clonliffe Avenue, Ballybough, Dublin 3 with his shopping.

As he approached his front door, he noticed that it was slightly open. When he entered the hall, a man ran down the stairs, grabbed him and forcefully pulled him into the sitting room where he pushed him onto the couch. The intruder shouted at Mr. Hempenstall that there were other people in the house in order to intimidate and frighten him. While still being assaulted and in an effort to escape, Mr. Hempenstall ran to a window which he managed to push open and called out for help.

A neighbour, Aonghus O’Briain heard his cries and responded. As he entered the house through the front door, he saw the intruder assaulting Mr. Hempenstall and without hesitation, confronted the intruder. During the interaction, the intruder broke the glass panel in the back door and cut his hand.  Mr. O’Briain overpowered the intruder and held him in a headlock while he tried to break free.  Another neighbour who also responded to the cry for help assisted Mr. O’Briain in restraining the attacker. A further neighbour who heard the commotion entered the house, and Mr. Hempenstall called out to her to call the Gardaí, which she did. Mr. Hempenstall was also instrumental in containing the intruder who was subsequently arrested and is currently serving his sentence in Mountjoy Prison.

For their actions Aonghus O’Briain and Michael Hempenstall are each awarded a Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 7

At 1245hrs on 31 October 2018, Gardaí were contacted by a woman who reported that her daughter had left her house in a distressed state. Gardaí began searches of the area including the coastline.

Two hours into the search, Garda Donal Tully and another Garda observed a young woman matching the daughter’s description on the beach at White Rock, Killiney, Co. Dublin.  They made their way to the beach but by the time they reached her location, the young woman had entered the sea. Garda Tully immediately entered the sea, swam a considerable distance out to her, and attempted to rescue her. She struggled with Garda Tully and resisted him as he tried to drag her to land. Garda Gavin who had located a lifebuoy, entered the water at knee-level to assist Garda Tully.

Both Gardaí were then able to restrain the young woman and pull her to safety before being joined by other Gardaí involved in the search.

For his actions, Garda Donal Tully is awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 8

At 2045hrs on 30 November 2015, two males entered the Spar shop on Clogher Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 wearing balaclavas and armed with a metal bar and a meat cleaver. They robbed the premises and subjected the two employees and a number of members of the public with threats of violence. Money was taken and both suspects then fled the shop, running onto Clogher Road in the direction of Sundrive Road.

Garda David Currivan and Garda Cathal McGeoghan were in a patrol car at the opposite end of Clogher Road and were approached by a member of the public who informed them about the robbery. When they arrived at the scene, they saw the two men running from the shop. The patrol car pulled up behind the two suspects and Garda McGeoghan called on both suspects to halt. Both suspects raised their weapons and advanced towards Garda McGeoghan, who was forced to deploy his pepper spray to defend himself.   The suspects turned and fled while Garda McGeoghan gave chase on foot.

As they ran, the suspects began discarding the proceeds of the robbery, along with their disguises, but retained their weapons. Garda Currivan meanwhile, drove ahead of the suspects and attempted to block their escape routes with the patrol car. Both suspects then turned and attempted to assault Garda McGeoghan. One suspect tried to strike Garda McGeoghan with the metal bar and he was again forced to deploy his pepper spray to defend himself. Ultimately, he was able to physically tackle this suspect, disarming him of the metal bar and place him under arrest.

The second suspect tried to flee the scene and Garda Currivan exited the patrol car and attempted to apprehend him. The second suspect attempted to strike Garda Currivan with the meat cleaver without success. The second suspect then began to run at Garda McGeoghan in what appeared to Garda McGeoghan to be an attempt to free the first suspect who was arrested. Again, Garda McGeoghan was forced deploy his pepper spray to defend himself and to retain custody of the first suspect who he was still attempting to restrain on the ground.

The second subject then broke off his advance and ran towards Clogher Road pursued by Garda Currivan where he scaled a wall at a house on Clogher Road. Garda Currivan tried to follow him, but lost sight of him. The assistance of the Garda Air Support Unit was sought and a short while later, members of that Unit observed the second suspect moving through gardens in the vicinity of Clogher Road. He was promptly arrested. All monies stolen in the course of the robbery were retrieved either on the suspect’s persons or in their immediate vicinity.

For their actions, Garda David Currivan and Garda Cathal McGeoghan are each awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 9

One night in August 1956, a punt arrived into a sound at Roan Inish Island which is near Port Noo in Western Donegal, as James Gallagher, Michael Gallagher (R.I.P.) and Mickey (Red Michael) Gallagher were lobster fishing on their half-decker, Irine. There were 18 people on board the punt, mainly young children, and none of them were wearing lifejackets.

A breeze was picking up as the punt moved off and it took wash over the bow. A swift retreat towards the stern by the passengers swamped the outboard engine. Within seconds, all 18 were in the water. The Gallaghers got into one boat and started firing ropes to pull them out. A yacht fishing for Pollack about 100 yards away steamed over to help. Two young brothers who were still in the water swam towards the yacht’s stern. One of the boys got caught up in the propeller. The yacht now without power and with the boy’s dead body trapped underneath was being blown towards shore by the wind. The Gallaghers got a rope and towed it to safety. All the while, they were trying to calm the situation, while scanning the water for any more survivors. Thirteen people were rescued by the fishermen that night.

For their actions, James Gallagher Senior and Mickey (Red Michael) Gallagher are each awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery. Michael Gallagher Senior is awarded a posthumous Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 10

On 26 June 2018, a man was observed standing over the railing of the Snugborough Road / N3 Flyover in Dublin.  As Garda Seán Breheny along with another Garda approached the man, other Gardaí arrived and attempted to block the fast-flowing traffic underneath.

As a Dublin Bus approached underneath the bridge, the man pushed himself back against the bridge railing and jumped. Garda Breheny ran to the railing, reached over, grabbed the man by his left arm and swung him back over the railing where he was subdued. Garda Breheny put his own life at risk by carrying out this manoeuvre and both could have fallen to their deaths.

For his actions, Garda Seán Breheny is awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 11

In the summer of 1976, a fourteen-year-old boy found himself in difficulties in the sea at the Point, Westport, Co. Mayo. Three friends of his were on a pier looking on in horror.

Gary Kennedy who was also a friend of the boy was cycling nearby and saw him in the water. After unsuccessfully trying to untangle the ropes of a nearby lifebuoy, Gary dived into the water, made his way over to the boy and brought him back to the pier where he made a full recovery.

For his actions, Gary Kennedy is awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.

CITATION No 12

At approximately 1900hrs on 26 September 2018, Garda Sergeant Gavin Coleman and Garda M.J. Carroll responded to a call that a man was standing on the parapet of the M50 Bridge over the Strawberry Beds in Dublin. Garda Darren Blackwell and Garda Jason Walsh joined them shortly after.

The man then made an effort to jump off the bridge. The Gardaí intervened and ended up struggling with the man, and managed to hold on to him. The Gardaí involved put themselves at great risk including that of plunging to their deaths.

After managing to pull the man back across the barriers, Sergeant Coleman, Garda Carroll and the man fell off the gantry and fell 7 feet onto the M50 roadway. Garda Walsh had to grab Garda Blackwell’s legs to prevent him being pulled over as well. The man fell on top of the Gardaí.

Sergeant Coleman was knocked unconscious and Garda Carroll suffered bruising to his hip. Garda Blackwell suffered minor injuries to both arms. Sergeant Coleman and Garda Carroll were taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. Sergeant Coleman received seven stitches to his head and suffered severe bruising. Garda Carroll sustained severe bruising and soft tissue damage to his hips.

For their actions, Garda Darren Blackwell, Garda Sergeant Gavin Coleman, Garda M.J. Carroll and Garda Jason Walsh are each awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery.