Two of Mayo’s All-Ireland football winners will lend their support to a local initiative in their neighbourhood this weekend.
Eoin McGreal and Enda Hession from Garrymore Club in south Mayo, will present a cheque for €22,000 to Hollymount Community First Responders Group.
The money has been raised in the memory of teenager Caylum Flynn, who died in a tragic accident in 2022.
An inquest into his death heard how he had been working on a go-kart when he got caught in a haulage strap.
All-Ireland winners Eoin McGreal and Enda Hession play with Garrymore in south Mayo
Darren Forde is the co-ordinator of the group in his local community and the man who installed the first life-saving defibrillators on Croagh Patrick.
The founder of Eco Powered Cabinets has also developed a medical kit to improve emergency response to severe allergic reactions.
“We are so thankful to Enda and Eoin and all of the volunteers who got involved with Caylum’s Fundraiser.
“The two lads are both neighbours and both Garrymore clubmen. And as Marty Morrissey said, ‘there’s no school, shop or pub in Garrymore, but by hell they produced two All-Ireland winning footballers’.
“They are great fellas and big supporters of what we’re doing for the local community.”
Mr Forde said they cover an area of over 10 kilometres taking in Hollymount, Claremorris, Ballinrobe, Kilmaine, Carnacon and Kilconnolly.
“There is now a specially trained team of eight Community CFR volunteers, including 999 Emergency Text Response Nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT),” he said.
Darren Forde installing three defibrillators on Croagh Patrick in 2022
“They each receive a text at the same time ambulances receive the local emergency call. We are at 90% of calls in under eight minutes to provide lifesaving support.”
The money from Caylum’s fundraiser will be used for the upkeep of current defibrillators and the replacement of some of the older ones.
The group have 20 defibrillators and cabinets, each costing around €1,600.
The Hollymount CFR has also purchased personal pocket defibrillators bearing Caylum’s name.
An AED is an Automated External Defibrillator, a portable electronic device used to check a person’s heart rhythm and gives an electric shock to restart a normal heartbeat during sudden cardiac arrest.
Caylum, from Seefin, Scardaune in south Mayo was a talented Gaelic footballer and his family said he would have been so proud of Mayo’s All-Ireland success and his local heroes Enda and Eoin.
The players will present the cheque at Kelly’s (formerly Tierney’s) of Foxhall tomorrow afternoon.
Twelve newly trained first responders will also be presented with their CPR certificate.
Reliable sources say the Sam Maguire Cup may be brought along for the occasion.