PICTURES: Abbeyfeale Search and Rescue celebrate 20 year anniversary with Rescue 115 flyover

THE IRISH Coast Guard helicopter flew over Abbeyfeale in celebration as opposed to its normal duties to mark 20 years of the local search and rescue organisation.

Abbeyfeale District Search and Rescue marked the two decades since it started with a special event.

It was attended by a huge crowd including Limerick’s three TDs Patrick O’Donovan, Niall Collins, Richard O’Donoghue; local councillors Liam Galvin, Francis Foley, John Sheahan and gardai including Chief Superintendent Derek Smart and Inspector Gearoid Thompson. 

One of the highlights of the day was the flyover by Rescue 115.

Christy Kelliher,  search co-ordinator and equipment officer, said there was an “unbelievable turn-out”.

It was a far cry from when they started as he said they “didn’t have the price of a stamp”. 

Abbeyfeale Search and Rescue was founded after a man went missing locally and they helped in the search. 

A group of men and women got together and put their own money into it to get it off the ground.

Christy recalls they did a street collection in Abbeyfeale as traffic headed to the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney and they raised €11,800. 

Local businesses generously came on board and they got a big break with the lease from the OPW of the former garda station as their base.

“We’ve spent a lot of money on training too. We brought in a man from Canada, Richard Smith who is renowned all over the world for training search and rescue groups.

“There isn't too much we don’t know about search and rescue, the pattern of people going missing and why they've gone missing,” said Christy.

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The 40-strong volunteers are happy to share their  expertise near and far to help return loved ones to families which they have been doing for 20 years.

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