Three Clare people have been honoured for their bravery, after saving the lives of others in separate incidents off the county’s coast over the past year.
They’re among 73 people honoured for preventing water tragedies, at Water Safety Ireland’s National Annual Awards Ceremony this week.
These awards shine a light on real-life heroes – the ordinary people who made extraordinary decisions in moments of crisis, saving the lives of 53 people across the island of Ireland so far in 2025.
23 people have been honoured with the ‘Just in Time’ award for their courage and selfless acts including Clare natives Oisin McGrath, Keith McDonagh and Caoimhe Moroney.
Caoimhe Moroney, who works as a member of the Clare Surf Life Team, had entered the water in Ballyvaughan with her board on July 11th, when she heard cries for help.
She subsequently pulled a man to safety, with the assistance of a lifebouy provided by another member of the public.
Oisin McGrath received his award for pulling a young boy to safety on the Lahinch slipway, after he was carried out to sea by a strong swell in April of this year.
Oisin says his years of experience working in water safety allowed him to work on instinct.
On August 8th, Keith McDonagh swam hundreds of metres out to sea at the Kilkee Cliffs, after contacting Kilkee CFR for assistance, where with the assistance of Ken O’Connell, Conor Deloughery and Tommy O’Sullivan helped bring the man to safety on a jet ski.
The Kilkee resident says the rescue shows the importance of a coherent plan and teamwork when trying to get someone to safety.
Listen to the full interview here
