Local Gardaí are among those awarded for bravery.
The Ceann Comhairle made the presentations of twenty six certificates, six Bronze Medals and thirteen Silver Medals to representatives from across the country, while one, James Nicholl, received a posthumous Gold medal award.
David Dunne from Kilkenny and Carlow’s Mike Bolger were both among the silver medal and cert recipients for the parts they played in the rescue of three children and a man from the River Barrow in Graignamanagh.
Both had been in a nearby park on the afternoon of the 1st of June, 2020, when they heard screaming from the river.
They noticed four people in the water who appeared to be in difficulty.
Both men jumped in, David initially focusing on one of the boys and the man who was struggling against the strong river current before bringing them to safety and returning to get another child, a girl, who was holding onto a tree in the middle of the river.
Mike moved to save a second girl who had become trapped in a weir before getting caught up himself too. But his dog, a Staffordshire terrier called Clyde, joined the rescue mission helping the young person stay afloat while Mike worked his way out of the whirlpool and both were subsequently aided by David.
Meanwhile, also this week brave actions were recognised by Water Safety Ireland in Dublin Castle.
