Offaly Garda honoured with bravery award

An Offaly Garda was among those honoured with a National Bravery Award today for his actions during the attempted rescue of a young man from the River Nore in Kilkenny City more than 20 years ago.

David Nolan, originally from Tullamore, and now a Detective Superintendent, and his colleague Garda John Carroll, from Roscommon, responded to reports that a man had entered the River Nore at John’s Bridge in Kilkenny at around 2.30am on April 1, 2003.

Despite the freezing cold water and the fast flow of the river, Garda Nolan took a rope and entered the river near where the man was last seen. After finding no sign of the man, he joined colleagues who were by now searching from the riverbank.

Some time later, a man was observed in the water and Garda Nolan went back in, swimming out to the man and putting a rope around him. The river was being dredged at the time, and the flow was considerable, so with the man unresponsive, Garda Nolan was joined in the river by Garda Carroll.

Although some time had elapsed since the alarm was raised, the Gardaí did their best to keep the man’s head above water as they brought him ashore in the hope that he might be revived or resuscitated.

Tragically, despite their best efforts, and the help from their colleagues on shore, the young man was pronounced dead shortly after being removed from the water.

For their actions, Detective Superintendent David Nolan and Garda John Carroll were each today being awarded a bronze medal and a certificate of bravery at a ceremony in Leinster House.

David Nolan joined the Gardai in 1999 and was stationed in Tramore in 2000 before moving to Kilkenny in 2002. More recently, he was District Superintendent in Nenagh, Athlone and Mullingar, and is currently a Detective Superintendent in the Meath/Westmeath district.