Tipperary honours bravery of mountain rescue teams

Team members of The South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMERA) were honoured for their incredible work and bravery at a civic reception held by the Tipperary- Cashel-Cahir Municipal district.
The reception was accorded in recognition of the valuable service provided by the voluntary team members and their contribution to society.
Cathaoirleach Councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan said- “You are united by a common goal, to help each people in difficulty on the hill.”
“You have to be a very special kind of person to carry out this work, brave, resilient, compassionate, and most of all selfless,” she said.
SEMRA currently has 57 volunteers, and responds to between 30 and 40 call outs per year.
The team base is in Clonmel, the team covers a central geographical response area for the mountainous regions in the South East of Ireland including Galtee, Comeragh, Knockmealdown, Ballhoura, Slievenamon, Nagle and Blackstairs Mountains.
Founded in 1977, the team collaborates with national agencies including An Garda Síochána, the Health Services Executive (HSE), Civil Defence and the Air Corps to provide expertise in the area of remote search and rescue.
In January 2020, the team carried out its 500th rescue.
“What prompted me to give recognition to the incredible work you do was listening to former member Jimmy Barry speaking on radio down through the years,” said Cllr Hourigan.
“Listening to you Jimmy I was always amazed at what lengths the volunteers went to and how much it cost to run the team, approximately €60,000 from my research.
“ I believe currently, with only €20,000 from government, so therefore you are required to use your own transport and personal equipment, as well as fundraising continuously,” she said.
Tributes were paid to John Dunne, a Tipperary native who lost his life two weeks ago on Carrauntoohil Mountain, county Kerry and Cllr Hourigan extended sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues.
Gerry Tobin, Chairman of SEMRA paid tribute to those who lost their lives on the mountains and the team members unable to attend.
Mr Tobin said- “On behalf of SEMRA I would like to thank you all most sincerely. What we do is exactly what you guys have described tonight but we don’t somehow see ourselves when we hear these descriptions, so it is truly humbling and we are truly thankful to be invited here tonight.”
“These occasions are wonderful insofar as the fact that normally when we do get together, it is something quite serious. Tonight we get to meet one another, we get to meet you guys and it’s a pleasurable experience.”