Longford family praised for highlighting the importance of defibrillator maintenance

The Coordinator of the Ballinamuck - Drumlish Community First Responders group Yvonne Leslie said there are up to 15 members in the group which includes people such as construction workers, hairdressers and childcare workers.

The group has ten public access defibrillators spread out across the parish, including an additional new one that was added to their network last weekend, and they are checked by volunteers every fortnight.

The new defibrillator (AED) has been placed at the new Monaduff Bridge along the Rebel Trail walkway, which is across the road from the GAA grounds.

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“We would like to thank the Lawlor family and our volunteers who together organised the installation of this new defibrillator (AED) at Monaduff bridge,” the Ballinamuck - Drumlish First Responders posted on their Facebook page.

They also commended the Lawlor family for highlighting the importance of maintaining defibrillators (AEDs) locally and nationally.

Yvonne said when the Lawlor family dialled 999 a text was dispatched to all of the cardiac first responders within an 8km-to-10km radius of the emergency and within seconds her and two volunteers were in their cars and gone to the scene.

The group have also appealed to communities and clubs to “please take the time to check your "defibrillators, this is vital lifesaving equipment that has been put in place with the best of intentions, but unfortunately it gets overlooked".

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Local Fine Gael Senator Paraic Brady raised Shane's tragic death in the Seanad where he praised the first responders who attended the scene and he urged local communities to check on their defibrillators.

He said, “In every area we have defibrillators which are there to give a sense of security to the people who know that they are there.

“Unfortunately, on this occasion, there was a defibrillator that was out of date when it was called for. The pads were out of date. These defibrillators are installed all over Ireland.

“I urge people in their localities to have a look at the dates and the pads on these. We have trained people throughout our communities but unfortunately if the defibrillators have not been checked on a regular basis - weekly - then the product itself is no good.

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“If sports and other clubs throughout the country only do one thing this week, I urge them to check all defibrillators to ensure they are in working order. Doing so might help save someone's life.”

Senator Brady said many senators had taken the appeal on board and relayed the message to their local communities.

"Shane was a great community man and his family are very active in the community in terms of the running club and being involved in various community events.

"It's a deep shock for something like this to happen to someone so young.

"In hindsight if the message gets out there and it saves somebody else's life in the country it will be something," he added.