This article is from page 36 of the 2007-07-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
ALMOST 300 people are alive to- day thanks to the brave efforts of the Kilkee Marine and Rescue Service.
Irelands oldest voluntary sea res- cue service is this year celebrating a quarter of a century in existence, with local man Manuel diLuici still a member 25 years on.
The original crew was made up of himself, Eamon Murnane and Joe Haugh, with John Nolan, Martin Tweedy, Kieran De Loughry, Barry O’Shaughnessy, Kevin Heenan and Eamon Nunan some of its longest serving member.
Today up to 20 local people are part of the totally voluntary service.
The youngest member is trainee ’7-year-old Sheena Nolan, who has joined her father and brother as a member of the service.
The teenager is not fazed by the amount of time and dedication re- quired by the service.
“T love being involved. I don’t mind the commitment, it is great fun,’ she Cr HTOe
The crew train twice a week, with other routine checks and procedures also part of the commitment.
The crew are also on standby 24 hours a day seven days a week in case of a call out via mobile phone.
The service was set up in 1982 un- der the auspices of the Kilkee Devel- opment Association.
The fist ever call out for the Kilkee Marine Sea and Rescue Service 25 years ago was to a trawler in diffi- culty.
The crew responded to the call in force eight winds and brought it and its crew safely back to Doonbeg har- lereltbe
In 1986 the Kilkee crew were forced to recover the bodies of two of their own members – JJ Hartington from Castletownbere who was work- ing in Moneypoint and Ian Benson from Kilkee.
Both men were in there twenties and were out fishing when the trag- edy occurred.
“It was one of the saddest incidents of my career,’ said founding member Manuel diLuici.
The rescue service has recovered 28 bodies during the past 25 years and saved 280 more.
Despite the crew, some 160 mem- bers throughout the 25 years, giving their services for free it costs be- tween €30,000 and €40,000 to keep the service running.
Ennis businessman PJ Howard sponsored the first of the services four-life boats.
The boats need to be replaced eve- ry five to seven years with the engine usually the first piece of the equip- ment to give trouble.
The current boat was purchased in 2003, but the service must already start thinking about how it will fund the €150,000 necessary to buy next the state of the art boat.
Over the years members of the service have brought honour to the seaside village due to their bravery. John Cosgrove, his son Frank and Eamon Nunan received a certificate of merit from the minister for the ma- rine for a rescue in October 2000.
The three men risked everything to save a young Limerick man who got trapped in the propeller of a boat.
The thankful family later held a huge fundraiser to say thank you.
The links between Limerick and Kilkee are strong so it 1s not surpris- ing therefore that the links between the service and the Treaty County are equally tight.
Many of the Limerick people who spend summer in the west Clare town also sign up to be part of the life saving service.