Year in Review: Four Waterford heroes honoured at National Bravery Awards in Phoenix Park

It was a day of celebration on Friday at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park as individuals from across Ireland were honoured at the National Bravery Awards for risking their own lives to help others in peril.

Four courageous Waterford men were among those honoured at the ceremony for their acts of bravery. Cork, Dublin, Galway, Clare, Westmeath and Wexford were also represented at the prestigious awards.

The Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, presented the ceremony in the Phoenix Park wherein seven certificates, eleven bronze medals, four silver medals and one gold medal were awarded to recipients. 

The annual awards are granted by Comhairle na Míre Gaile – the Deeds of Bravery Council – founded in 1947 to enable State recognition of exceptional Acts of Bravery.

The Council is chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and includes the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, the Lord Mayors of Dublin and Cork, the Garda Commissioner, the President of the Association of City & County Councils, and the Chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Largest Defence Forces graduation takes place at SETU

Sergeant Cyril Meehan was awarded at the ceremony for not one, but two incidents wherein he demonstrated exceptional bravery. The Sergeant from Waterford was given a Certificate of Bravery alongside the late Garda Noel Power for their intervention in disarming a man brandishing a knife at Waterford Garda Station in February 2001. 

Sergeant Meehan was awarded another Certificate of Bravery alongside fellow Waterford man Garda Liam Fitzpatrick, Garda Conor Lucey from Cork and Garda Seamus Ronan from Wexford. The four Gardaí were awarded at the ceremony for preventing a man from setting himself on fire at the Quays in Waterford in June 2002.

Thomas Shaw Hamilton from Waterford was also commended on the day for his bravery in rescuing two boys from drowning at Clonea Strand in June 2023. Thomas saved the two boys from drowning in a strong rip current by giving the boys his own lifejacket and pulling them to safety.

Thomas was awarded a Silver Medal and a Certificate of Bravery for his selfless actions.

Also from Waterford, Daniel Dwan was awarded a Bronze Medal and Certificate of Bravery for rescuing a local fisherman who has been swept out to sea near Stage Cove in County Waterford in July 2023. When Daniel spotted the man struggling in the water he grabbed a kayak from a neighbouring garden and saved the man from the strong current.

The extremely difficult sea conditions resulted in Daniel suffering a gash to his head and both he and the man were later treated by paramedics at Waterford Airport.

Speaking to the guests at the joyous ceremony today, the Ceann Comhairle said: "This November day in Farmleigh is a day when we celebrate people who have made the world feel a little less dark, a little less dangerous and whose actions speak to the very best and noblest of impulses.

"This singular day marks moments where self-preservation was cast aside by our brave recipients as they risked their lives to help someone else."

He added: "These moments matter, because in many cases, lives were saved that would have been lost. They matter because even when people were lost, in some of the awful tragedies we remember today, those people were not alone.

"They would have known and their families know, that someone was with them, someone was bravely and desperately trying to save them, to bring them home."