Erris community involved in rescue operation wins Meitheal of the Year Award

THE community group that was was involved in the R116 rescue operation in Blacksod Bay last year are the recipients of the 2018 Meitheal of the Year award, epitomising the truest definition of the word ‘Meitheal’.

Even before the tragic event last March that prompted their nomination, since Comharchumann Forbartha Ionad Deirbhile Teo (CFID) was set up in 1993, it has been at the heart of the Erris and Blacksod community, fostering local heritage and supporting local enterprise.

When disaster struck at 1 a.m. on March 13, 2017, CFID responded at once; the lighthouse keeper Vincent Sweeney raised the alarm about an overdue Rescue 116 helicopter and a massive volunteering effort swiftly swung into action.

CFID and the local community responded magnificently, not over 48 hours, not over a week but during the full 42 days of the rescue effort, aided by over 100 community volunteers to provide immediate support and sustenance.

Halla Naomh Breandán became the centre of a massive operation, providing hot food, a warm place to congregate and in time somewhere the local community could help to console the families of missing crewmen.

They sat with them, cried with them and listened, and gave great comfort to relatives and colleagues in distress.

They worked together as a community to provide warmth and care to the state and voluntary search agencies, farmers and workmen, fishermen and boat owners, homeowners who provided accommodation to the families and visitors, the Belmullet Coast Guard, the Belmullet Gardai, Civil Defence, the Sweeney family of Blacksod Lighthouse, the local businesses community and sporting bodies who gave financial support and assistance and the Mayo and National groups who gave support.

A large number of search and rescue teams and organisations, who were involved in the colossal search effort in the area, included the following:

Belmullet Coast Guard, Commissioners of Irish Lights, Mayo Civil Defence, RNLI, An Garda Síochána, Garda Divers, CHC (owners of the Sikorsky helicopter), Mayo County Council, Navy Divers, Aer Accident Investigation Unit, Army Ranger Unit, Ireland Fishery Protection, Carrick on Suir River Rescue, Mourne Mountain Rescue, Mayo Mountain Rescue, Achill Coast Guard, Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA), Shannon and Dublin-based pilots, National Sub Aqua Club, West Cork Rescue Team, Donegal Dive Teams, and the Galway and Mayo Dive Teams.
As the country came to terms with the tragedy it reached out to CFID in a unique way. Food, bedding, donations big and small came from primary schools, from active retirement groups, from businesses and individuals around the country.

The poignant yet heart-warming cards and drawings that accompanied many of the donations from schools and children formed a key part of their beautifully-presented nomination.

Those in coastal communities know what it is to lose loved ones to the sea but CFID’s sustained effort and commitment over the 42 long days of the search went above and beyond what might have been expected.

The award. sponsored by the Connolly Motor Group, will be presented by the Mayo Association Dublin at a gala function on February 10 at the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.