Clare Civil Defence

31/08/2026

Yesterday we had the privilege and honor to welcome the families of our wonderful volunteers to our first ever family fun day.

Over 200 family members from the very young to the very mature came to our HQ on the Quin road in Ennis. The kids were treated to some fun activities outside while some educational and interesting talks took place inside the building including 2 case study reviews and a presentation on our mapping software and tetra communication systems.

Clare Civil Defence Volunteers along with all volunteers play a huge part in supporting our communities, they sacrifice their time away from their families to attend training , events and Callouts who without their families support it just wouldn't be possible.
The family fun day was about recognising and acknowledging that support and to hopefully inspire the next generation. 🧡💙

We would like to thank the team of wonderful volunteers that helped organise and put the event together.
We are truly very grateful for your efforts.

Thanks also to our special guests Jackie Breene and her family for also attending the event.

We hope with Jackie permission to share her incredible story very soon.

Thanks again to everyone who attended we hope you all had a great day. ❤️

"When you teach a child the joy of giving through your own service, you plant seeds of kindness that last generations"

30/08/2026

07/07/2026

Final checks complete ahead of the start of the 2026 Junior Tour of Ireland . 6 stages over 6 days right across the county. First stage is Barefeild this evening. The very best of luck to all teams and the event organisers.
Special thanks to our medical teams who will be ready to assist if required.

01/07/2026

June Monthly report

Its has been another very busy month for the members Clare Civil Defence

Our medical teams made up of Emergency first Responders , Emergency Medical Technician's, and Paramedics have provided medical cover at a number of events including:

24hour relay for life- fairgreen Ennis
M+M cycle race- Shannon
Mayor of Clare Cllr Paul Murphy cycle for mental health- loophead to Whitegate
Scoil Chríost Rí, Ennis, with their annual sports day on the river Fergus
Clare vs Dublin- camogie- Cusack Park
3 patient transfers for HSE - Ennis to limerick
Boys and girls soccer camp - killaloe

Civic reception

Clare County Council honored Clare Civil Defence with a Civic Reception on June 15, 2026, at Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis.

Long service awards

Commander Martin Kelly was presented with a 40 years service award for his four decades of service to his community.

Radiation monitoring exercise

Clare Civil Defence Volunteers participated in the national Radiation monitoring exercise. Volunteers travelled to different areas of the county to take air and soil samples in conjunction with Environmental protection agencie and the Civil Branch of the Department of Defence.

Training and testing
On average 55 volunteers attend training each week to continue to enhance their skills in
Medical response
Community assistance
Emergency response
Radiation monitoring
Search and rescue

Callouts and incidents

Our boat ,Drones and Land search teams assisted An Garda Síochána Clare with 5 Missing person search operations including a river rescue where the boat and Drone team worked closely with Ennis Fire service personnel to help rescue two people from the river Fergus in the middle of the night

We also want to thank our colleagues in
Mayo Civil Defence
Limerick Civil Defence
Galway Civil Defence
For their assistance

All this work was completed in only one month by the wonderful men and women of Clare Civil Defence. They will continue to assist their communities right across the county and beyond.

Thank you all so much for you hard work, determination and professionalism.

Clare County Council
An Garda Síochána Clare

27/06/2026

Today we travelled to Dublin for the Long Service Medal Ceremony at McKee Barracks, where medals were presented to Volunteers by Minister Thomas Byrne.

A special congratulations to Commander Martin Kelly on receiving his 40 Years Service Medal in recognition of four decades of outstanding dedication and commitment.

Martin began his journey in Dublin in 1985, where he later received his 10-year service medal. In 1997, he moved to Meath, progressing through the ranks to become 3rd Officer. In 2003, Martin relocated to Clare, where he continued his advancement within the organisation and was appointed Commander in 2015.

Throughout his years of service, Martin has also qualified as a CFR, CFR-A, FAR and EFR Instructor, as well as serving as an Assistant Tutor. His knowledge, leadership and commitment have made a lasting impact on countless members and volunteers.

Martin is a valued and highly respected member of our organisation, and we are incredibly proud to see his dedication recognised with this well-deserved award.

Congratulations Martin, and thank you for your 40 years of service.

22/06/2026

🚨Join Clare Civil Defence – Class of 2026/27!🚨

Are you ready to make a difference in your community?

We’re now recruiting for our 2026/27 class! If you have an interest in:

✅ First Aid & Medical Response
✅ Search and Rescue
✅ Drone Operations
✅ Severe Weather Response
✅ Supporting Community Events

…this is your chance to be part of a dedicated volunteer team that trains for real-world emergencies and plays a vital role in local events.

📧 To learn more or apply, email [email protected]
📲 Or scan the QR code below to get started!

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS THURSDAY THE 30th OF JUNE

16/06/2026

Last night, we had the honour and privilege of receiving a Civic Reception Award in recognition of the outstanding voluntary support that Clare Civil Defence provides to the emergency services and the wider community throughout County Clare.

Clare Civil Defence is made up of highly skilled and highly trained volunteers who generously give their time on a weekly and daily basis to train, support the community, attend operational duties, and assist when called upon for incidents such as missing person searches and other emergencies.

This is one of the highest honours that Clare County Council can bestow upon an organisation, and we are deeply honoured to receive this recognition.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Cathaoirleach Paul Murphy, Director of Services Alan Farrell, Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly, Justin McGinn from the Civil Defence Branch of the Department of Defence, Superintendent John Ryan of An Garda Síochána, John Corry and Aoife Coote from Clare County Council Corporate Services, and to all Clare Civil Defence volunteers, past and present.

It is an honour and a pleasure to work and train alongside such dedicated people, and to call you not only our colleagues but also our friends.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to your families, who support you behind the scenes and make it possible for you to continue the invaluable work that you do for our communities.

This award belongs to every volunteer, past and present, who has served with dedication, professionalism, and commitment. We are proud to accept it on behalf of you all.

https://www.clarecoco.ie/council/newsroom/news/2026/clare-county-council-honours-clare-civil-defence-civic-reception?fbclid=IwdGRzaASeOmBjbGNrBJ46VGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhs0SG2t_lpm3KfzaYt2nqquvevi62yOK95wq3ZyMkb1wuaqYUv10McDmjBQ_aem_zWjnqC7mZyVXPIpdYJ2fxg&sfnsn=wa

Clare County Council

Civil Defence Ireland

16/05/2026

Clare Civil Defence newest volunteers have been treated to a fantastic visit and demonstration from 3 members of Search and Rescue Dog Association (Ireland) Jarlath the handler and his amazing dogs puppy Lorg and air scent dog Shadow.

We are blown away by Jarlaths dedication and commitment to SARDA. This is an amazing organisation where people like Jarlath sacrifice their time with their dog to firstly gain the certification to enable them to participate on missing person searches. A massive commitment. They do this work completely voluntary.!

We ask people to support this organisation through donations as you never know when you or someone close to you might need their services.

Thanks a million again to Jarlath, Shadow and little Lorg for travelling to Ennis today. 🫡👏👏

15/05/2026

We’re delighted to unveil the 2nd Annual Clare Civil Defence Magazine! 🚑📘

This edition captures the dedication, teamwork, training, callouts, and community spirit that made 2025 another unforgettable year for our volunteers.

Created by our members, for our community, it’s a reflection of the people behind Clare Civil Defence and the work we’re proud to do every day.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the year — we hope you enjoy looking back with us!

05/05/2026

It was another busy week for the members of Clare Civil Defence who provided medical cover at a number of events over the weekend including the munster senior hurling match between Clare and Limerick.

We also welcomed 14 new members who recently completed the Recruits Basic training programme. This training has been ongoing since last September. Well done to their instructors and the students for all their dedication and hard work.

The Search and Rescue teams were also tasked by An Garda Síochána Clare to assist with a missing person search in the Ennis area. The Boat , Drone and land search teams were deployed to search different areas including the river Fergus.
We are delighted the person was located safe and well this morning.

A huge thanks to all our members for their continued commitment and dedication.🫡