Making Nenagh a safer place

Testament to the value placed on this campaign by the local community, a large crowd attended the launch of Defibs for Life at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh last week.

Welcoming those present, Tom Boland of Defibs for Life said the good attendance was an indicator of the need to add more potentially lifesaving defibrillators - or ‘defibs’ - with public access in Nenagh. He said he and the members of his group have been “amazed” at the reaction they have already received, and he praised the local community for stepping up in support of the campaign.

Mr Boland outlined how Defibs for Life was recently set up by a group of friends and family members after someone close to them was diagnosed with a heart condition. With the help of local members of the Order of Malta and the Irish Red Cross, the Defibs for Life team were trained in CPR and defibrillator use. Mr Boland spoke of how defibrillators are quite easy to use once people are shown what to do with them. And he mentioned how the importance of such knowledge was underlined earlier that very evening when a person suffered a cardiac arrest in Nenagh; fortunately someone was on hand who knew CPR.

Defibs For Life was set up with three main objectives: To install at least six more public access defibrillators in the town; to increase public awareness of the location of the devices; and to provide a greater level of training in CPR and defibrillator use.

Aiden Lonergan, National Director, Community Support at the Irish Red Cross, told those gathered that any one of them could use a defibrillator. The devices are safe to use. They know what to do and provide recorded instructions to the user; “they're just looking for a pair of eyes and a finger”, he said.

Mr Lonergan spoke of the “Chain of Survival” and said the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in Nenagh would be greatly increased if there were strong links in the chain. He made the point that other towns around Ireland are running similar community campaigns, and he acknowledged the presence of members of Roscrea Cardiac First Responders at the Nenagh launch.

Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District Cllr Hughie McGrath took the opportunity to praise the local members of both the Order of Malta and the Red Cross for the service they have provided to the community over the years. He said he had worked with Mr Boland in organising Nenagh Castlefest and St Patrick's Day parades, and knew the energy he would bring to the Defibs for Life campaign.

Having spoken to the local council executive, Cllr McGrath said the new group could be assured of assistance with the rollout of more defibrillators in Nenagh.

Cllr Séamie Morris knew Mr Boland as chairman of Nenagh Éire Óg camogie club. He said the Boland family deserve applause for starting a campaign that could save many lives in Nenagh. Cllr Morris also acknowledged the number of business people willing to help, and he described the amount of goodwill in general towards Defibs for Life as “incredible”.

EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION

Also present at the launch were pupils of Rang a Sé, Gaelscoil Aonach, who presented the findings of a survey they had carried out in relation to knowledge of defibs and CPR in the town.

Several members of the Order of Malta and Irish Red Cross were also in attendance. Conal Donal of the former was joined by Ute Fietsch of the latter group in providing a demonstration of what to do in the event of a person collapsing with suspected cardiac arrest.

This was talked through by John Sherlock of the Order of Malta, who has long sought the widespread provision of public access defibrillators in the community. He told of installing two devices, with support from Nenagh Lions Club, one outside the Bank of Ireland and one at Mulrooney's service station on the Borrisokane Road. In subsequent years, further public access defibs were installed outside Anna Kelly's pharmacy beside Lidl, at Costello's service station on Ciamáltha Road, and at Éire Óg's complex on Gortlandroe. All of them are readily available, without locks or access codes.

Mr Sherlock said the defib outside the Bank of Ireland has been used frequently used over the last 10 years. “It has saved a number of lives,” he told the meeting.

He too encouraged people not be afraid of using a defibrillator; call 999 or 112 in the event of an emergency and the operator would talk the user through what must be done.

GENEROUS DONATIONS

Mr Boland warmly thanked everyone that has donated to Defibs for Life so far.

There has already been some sizeable donations from local businesses and clubs, including Nenagh Lions Club, Kellys of Fantane, Sherry Fitzgerald Talbot Auctioneers, Nenagh Éire Óg and Dr Muiris O'Keeffe. He also thanked the Abbey Court Hotel management for its support. There was a particular word of thanks for a donation from Derrin Homes, which was conveyed to the group by Cllr Morris, and to Darren Griffin of Figgertys Golf Society.

Mr Boland mentioned a number of upcoming fundraising ventures for Defibs for Life, including a table quiz at Figgertys pub this coming Friday, April 21, at 8.30pm. There will be a street collection the following day (Saturday, April 22), while DJ Vinny Savage will be playing music at the Hibernian Inn on the following Saturday, April 29, at 9pm.

Once they have the new defibs installed around town, the group will seek to provide further public access defibs to the communities in Nenagh's hinterland.

An online idonate webpage has also been set up for people to give money, and it can be found here. The group has also provided bank details for donations - IBAN: IE19AIBK9352202973021. Further information can be found on the Defibs For Life Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media, or you can email Defibsforlife@gmail.com.