Name: Karl O' Grady
Lives: County Tipperary ( just around the corner from Jimmy Barry)
Occupation: Life guard and swimming instructor
Interests: Rock climbing, mountaineering, cycling, swimming, Irish language.
In the team since: September 2005 - I joined at 17 years of age but had to wait until I was 18 to officially become part of the team and take part in training!
Current position in the team: Committee Member / Tracker
Lowlights: Going on holidays and coming home to find out that I've missed a callout. And not being old enough to drive any Team Vehicles yet!
Highlights: Hearing my pager going off for the first time and that buzz you get never dies. Helping someone safely down off the mountain and seeing the look of relief on their face. Flying in a helicopter for the first time. Navigating for a search dog and handler on callouts and seeing them at work. Friday night training up the Galtys that often went on all hours into the night.
Name: Irene Codd
Lives: Clonmel
Occupation: Teacher
Interests: Mountain Rescue (suprise, suprise), basketball, outdoor adventure stuff (hillwalking, climbing ...)
In the team since: 2004
Current position in the team: Chairperson
Previous positions held: Training officer and acting Secretary
Lowlights:Waking up at 4am to the sound of the pager (Once 4.05 comes i'm fine again!!)
Highlights: Croagh Patrick (I love to wake up on the mountain with Bono licking my face). Rolling down the hill with Paddy Looney in the Comeragh's. Telling Jimmy Barry what to do (my new favourite thing to do). Oh I could go on ... Doing MR stuff in the sunshine (its so rare!).
Legal Notice: The owners of this site wish to point out that the above named Bono refers to the well known SARDA search dog and not the lead singer of an up and coming Dublin rock band.
Name: Jimmy Barry
Lives: County Tipperary. Just ten minutes from the Galtees.
Occupation: Logistics Manager
Interests: History, poetry, canoeing, photography.
In the team since: 2000. In 1999 I met Pat and Roy when they gave a presentation about SEMRA in Aherlow. Pat invited me to the open night in Clonmel and asked me to bring along a few people who might be interested. Where did the time go?
Current position in the team: Press/Public Relations Officer
Previous positions held: Deputy Team Leader
Lowlights: Knots!
Highlights: Team mates. Friends in other MR teams all over Ireland, all over the world. Watching the sun rise from the top of Croagh Patrick. Sitting on Galtybeg at four in the morning drinking tea. Being able to say "it's ok, you're safe now". The support I get from my family and friends.
The sun came out on Saturday June 20th, for SEMRA's annual Waterford street collection, a pleasant change from last year when it bucketed down for the whole day. As so often before, the people of Waterford were very generous indeed to their local, voluntary, Mountain Rescue team. SEMRA could not exist without the funds raised at our flag days, and the kind words of support received are very much appreciated. SEMRA is grateful to An Garda Siochana, Waterford City Council, and its friends in the local media who helped to get the word out, also we acknowledge our colleagues in the Search And Rescue Dogs Association, who took time out of a busy training weekend to come and help on the day.
In a major search and rescue operation on the Galtee Mountains in County Tipperary on Sunday evening, April 26th 2009, two people were rescued and nine were assisted off the Mountains. In a five-hour operation, involving search teams from SEMRA and a search dog team from the "Search & Rescue Dog Association" (SARDA), two female walkers that had become separated from a family group were located. The two, who were very cold and wet, were found between Galtymore and Galtybeg, in what was described as terrible weather conditions. They were given clothing and food and rewarmed before they were taken off the mountain. The remainder of the family party also became lost on Galtymore, but managed to make their way into the Glen of Aherlow. As the search for the two female walkers began, four other walkers became lost on Galtymore. Fortunately for them, they were able to make their way down the mountain and be picked up by Mountain Rescue personnel, or made their own way back to their cars.
SEMRA would like to thank two hillwalkers from the UK who gave assistance in locating the two female walkers, their intervention and help saved a lot of time and was much appreciated by all. Team Leader, Michael Power, said "very poor weather conditions descended on the mountains and people who were unprepared got caught out," he reminded people that if they intend to walk in the mountains, "they should go prepared, with map & compass and the proper clothing, footwear and food, and not to rely on mobile phones to get out of trouble."
Members of South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association made their TV debuts recently when a team training day was featured in a special edition of Nationwide, RTE's long-running magazine programme. A camera crew followed the team as it went through a real-time scenario which involved deployment of personnel and equipment by the Coast Guard Sikorsky S61 helicopter, followed by a search and rescue.
In total, fifteen volunteer members of the team took part in the large-scale search for the two men who were lost, and subsequently air-lifted off Lugnaquilla this evening. SEMRA Team Leader, Michael Power, said he was proud of the commitment and dedication of the members of the team. When the pagers went off last night ten members were on their way to help in the first hour, and another five followed with team vehicles this morning. Working in some of the worst conditions ever seen on Irish mountains, mountain rescue volunteers from all over Ireland, North and South, along with two teams from Wales, managed to locate and evacuate the men to a location where they could be air-lifted to safety. Well done to all who helped over the last two days, not least for exemplifying the qualities we should value in the times ahead.