Christmas tree

More than 100 people packed into Ionad Naomh Fionnan community centre, Falcarragh, Donegal recently to support selfless volunteers known as ‘First Responders,’ ordinary people who receive basic medical training and help in emergency situations.

Attended by infants and the elderly alike, the ‘Light Up A Star’ event, hosted by Buíon Cheoil Sinsear Chloich Cheann Fhaola, the Senior band, was an evening of high-quality music and singing acts, all from the Cloughaneely area. Emcee was the talented Aoife McNichle, senior band member.

Ranging from traditional Irish songs and music to contemporary ballads, some composed by performers, the acts included the Cloughaneely Senior and Junior Bands, singers Cora Moore, Clíona Gallagher, Darren O’Halloran, Sarah McGeever, Conor O’Ghallchoir and Hannah McFadden, the local Comhaltas group and Don E Gals, a trio of female ukulele players. Patricia Harley and Annette McPaul read poignant prose passages as Gaeilge and as Bearla from the stage.

“First Responders provide a vital service to the community and we were delighted to show our support,” said Aine Quigg, secretary of the band, who also praised all the volunteers involved in the evening’s fund-raising event, including Patricia Harley, principal of Scoil Náisiúnta Gort an Choirce (Gortahork National School). “Being in a rural area, ambulances from Letterkenny and Dungloe can take quite a while to get here so the work of ‘First Responders’ can be the difference between life and death, where seconds, not just minutes, count.” This was only the second such concert organised by Buíon Cheoil Sinsear Chloich Cheann Fhaola, the firt being last year, which helped raise funds for the band’s tour of New York.

As for Falcarragh ‘First Responders’ group, it was founded ten years ago by Shaun Boylan, who is the group’s co-ordinator, Hugo McFadden, both of whom are Instructor Safety Divers at Effective Offshore, and Maureen Gallagher. It is one of over 350 such groups nationwide, with the local one now having 15 active members, four men and 11 women, who respond to 100-120 call-outs a year in a radius of about seven kilometres around Falcarragh, including the Magheraroarty and Derryconor and all the way to Corcreggan Mill, near near Dunfanaghy.

The emergencies they deal with could range from heart attacks to choking and strokes. There has, unfortunately, been a fall in the number of volunteers as there were around 32 before Covid hit, which is why the group is now seeking new members.

‘Receiving no government funding, we’re grateful for this generous response from the community we serve, the funds help with training and buying and maintaining life-saving defibrillators, which we’ve expanded from only one when we started to fifteen now, which are placed in various businesses and schools throughout the area,” said Shaun proudly.

“All volunteers are closely vetted and receive training in various aspects of emergency medicine, including the use of defibrillators, how to recognise people suffering strokes, and so on.”

The community event also honoured local people who have died recently. Candles on stage featured the faces of 13-year-old Enya McMurrough from Gortahork who passed suddenly in February and was a member of the junior band and beloved daughter of senior band member, Fionnuala.

And Jamie Diver and Shaun Martin McClafferty, sons of Roise Diver and Sharon McClafferty, who died in a tragic collision. Their deaths occurred within weeks of each other.

“It was with heavy hearts we organised this fund-raising event,” said Aine Quigg. “In fact, we weren’t even sure if we should go ahead with it due to the tragic deaths. It was a bad year because of this. But after speaking with the bereaved families, we all decided it was best to remember those who had passed.”

The evening’s event also featured a special ‘Remembrance Tree,’ a Christmas tree hung with white stars with the names of deceased loved ones on them which local people purchased to support ‘First Responders.”

Printed on the event programme for the evening were the words, “As we light these stars, we remember those we miss dearly. May these small lights remind us that love shines on.”