Background Information on Adsar

ON THE 18TH OF DECEMBER 2004, THE HEALY FAMILY OF DROMTRASNA, ABBEYFEALE, SUFFERED THE WORST NIGHTMARE OF ANY FAMILY. THEIR YOUNGEST SON, RICKY, WENT OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS ON THAT SATURDAY NIGHT AND FAILED TO COME HOME. HE HAD TURNED EIGHTEEN THE PREVIOUS JULY, COMPLETED HIS LEAVING CERTIFICATE SUCCESSFULLY, AND HAD TAKEN UP AN APPRENTICESHIP. HE HAD JUST BOUGHT A CAR, AND HAD PLANNED TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH HIS PARENTS THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY NEVER SAW HIM ALIVE AGAIN.

The alarm was raised on Sunday afternoon, and every available person in the neighbourhood set to work. Neighbours, friends, family, and strangers stood side by side with the Gardaí in an effort to support Ricky’s family. Men, women and children set off with sticks and hurleys or what ever they could use in their search for Ricky. Maps were secured, albeit discovery maps which were the only ones available and areas were charted to facilitate search teams. Local radio stations, as well as TV4 were contacted in the hopes that Ricky may have been seen elsewhere. A base of operations was set up in the town, and a feeding station for the searchers was established. People gave up Christmas. Everyone worked tirelessly in the hopes of a successful result.

After twelve long days, Ricky’s body was discovered in a slurry tank by a local farmer. Ricky had lost his way, fallen into the slurry tank and drowned. The hopes of his family and all involved in his search were cruelly dashed.

In the aftermath of his death, a core group of people involved in the search realised that this had been the third search in the area in a space of eighteen months. It seemed incredible that this could happen in such a small area. They realised that, even though every humanly possible effort had been made, they were ill equipped to deal with such an event. The role of the Civil Defence, and other groups like Ballybunion Coastal Search and Rescue were recognised, and their help was very much appreciated, but it was generally felt that a search and rescue group within the area was vital to the inland community at large. And so Abbeyfeale district Search and Rescue was born, in the memory of a local teenager who had lost his life in a terrible accident. A meeting of the community at large was called, and much to the delight of the core group, an astonishing two hundred and eighty people signed up to become volunteers. They came from ten different parishes in the area. This clearly indicated the need for such a group within a community who had, on three occasions, worked closely together for the benefit of missing persons and their families.

To Quote Norma Healy, Ricky’s mother, “it took the worst Christmas of my life to experience the true Spirit of Christmas”

Commitee Members

Nicky Cotter (Chairman)
Jimmy Cahil (Assistant Chairman and Head of Finance)
Aine McCarthy (Secretary)
Noelle Broderick (Assistant Secretary)
Johnny Lyons (Assistant Treasurer)
Helen Broderick (PRO)
Jim Carmody (Assistant PRO)
Christy Kelliher (Equipment Officer)
Johnny Stack (Committee Member)

If someone is missing:

Please contact any of our commitee members.

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To find out more on how you can help us, please contact us at info@adsar.org