Garda from Mayo receives National Bravery Award
A GARDA who hails from Mayo was honoured at the National Bravery Awards today.
Garda Caitríona Munnelly (Mayo) and Sergeant Brendan O’Toole (Meath) were each awarded a Bronze Medal and a Certificate of Bravery for the apprehension of a disturbed male and search of a house on fire near Ballivor, Co. Meath.
On June 13, 2022, at about 6.45 a.m., Sergeant O'Toole and Garda Munnelly were in the Ballivor area when a distressed man directed them to an incident.
They observed a large amount of smoke bellowing from the roof of a house and a number of people attempting to extinguish the blaze. They also observed another man breaking the windows of the house with a large pointed iron bar and pouring a liquid substance onto the flames. He was also swinging the bar at the people trying to extinguish the blaze.
Without hesitation Sergeant O'Toole and Garda Munnelly positioned themselves between the man and the members of the public. As they approached, the man swung the bar at them and also sprayed a liquid substance at them.
Despite the danger, the two gardaí were able to disarm and apprehend the man without injury to anyone present.
At this stage the property was engulfed in flames but once the threat from the man was neutralised, Sergeant O'Toole and Garda Munnelly searched the property to ensure no one was trapped inside. Although both suffered minor smoke inhalation and the home of a local couple was completely destroyed, nobody was injured as a result of the incident.
Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, TD, presented 26 National Bravery Awards to individuals from across Ireland who risked their own lives to aid others in peril at a ceremony at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park.
He said: “Today the Irish State recognises and celebrates the noblest impulse in a human being, the impulse to risk our lives in order to save someone else’s. But just as importantly, what these awards also do is mark the importance of the lives that were saved and also those that were lost.
“I say this because in several instances, we are making awards where, in spite of brave actions and valiant efforts, lives were tragically lost. Those involved in these attempts know how hard they struggled, the families of those lost appreciate their efforts as do we, the Irish nation.”
The annual honours are awarded by Comhairle na Míre Gaile - the Deeds of Bravery Council - which was founded 76 years ago in 1947 to enable State recognition of exceptional acts of bravery.