Criodán Ó Murchú awarded Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery

Criodán Ó Murchú, whose family roots are in Mullingar, was among those who received National Bravery Awards on Friday at Farmleigh House.

Criodán rescued a man from the River Corrib in Galway City.

He had just got off a bus in Galway on the evening of Friday July 30, 2021 and was walking by the River Corrib when he saw a man in the water.

The current had taken hold of the man and he was being swept at speed down the river towards Wolfe Tone Bridge and the Claddagh basin.

Criodán called the emergency services and after being warned not to go in the water, he followed the man from the bank.

Despite onlookers trying to throw life-rings towards the man, it became clear that he was going to go under the bridge and into the sea, and Criodán felt he had to act.

He went into the water near Wolfe Tone Bridge and swam out to intercept the man. He grabbed the man and struggled with the current, until an onlooker flung him a lifebuoy.

Gripping the lifebuoy with one hand, he held the man and began to make for the shore. With the weight of the man and the speed of the current, the rope of the lifebuoy dug into Criodán as he struggled to keep them afloat.

As Criodán tried to lift the man’s head above water, it appeared that the drowning man came round and began to pull at him. After struggling with the fast-flowing water and the man, who was clearly distressed, Criodán finally managed to get him to the rocks at the edge of the river and restrained him there until emergency services could reach them.

For his actions, Criodán Ó Murchú was awarded a Silver Medal and a Certificate of Bravery.

Criodán learned live saving skills at the swimming pool in Mullingar. His early education was at Loughegar and he attended Coláiste Mhuire.