New Defibrillator in Borrisokane in memory of Derek Ryan

A NEW defibrillator in Borrisokane was officially opened on Wednesday evening last October 18th in memory of Derek Ryan.

No one present seemed bothered about the heavy rain that poured down, all intent and focused on the one aim, to officially declare the Defibrillator open to the public from where it is housed on the wall at the front of the Borrisokane Reception Centre.

Derek Ryan was one of eight children, six boys and two girls, born to Ned and Noreen of Moneygall in 1980. His sister Maria recalled that Derek joined the Fire Brigade in Borrisokane back in November 2010 and in doing so, he re-located to the town, residing in Tower Hill.

“It was a job he really loved and was very happy doing it,” she said. On the morning of February 1st 2020, she mentioned how Derek was helping out a friend with some digger work. “He called up to his friend’s house to collect him and when his friend came out, he found Derek slumped over in the digger. He died very suddenly,” she said.
Minutes later, his colleagues in the Fire Brigade arrived and they tried to resuscitate him, but Derek had already passed away.

A group of people got together some time later with the aim of supplying a Defibrillator in Borrisokane to help prevent such deaths occurring in the future. Borrisokane Fire Brigade facilitated the idea, Eddie Ryan SACEO Tipperary Fire Services, supplied the cabinet, Matt Givens and Barbara Tynan administrators of Borrisokane Reception Centre also welcomed the project and gave permission for the unit to be installed on the wall outside the centre while Richard and Kathleen Feegal made a contribution to the project.

Last October 2022, Derek’s family and friends got together and ran a first memorial poker classic in which they raised a substantial amount of money which they divided between the Moneygall and Borrisokane Defibrillator groups. In the meantime, the family decided to keep the poker classic going and run one each year. This year’s event will take place on Friday next October 27th in Ollie Hayes’ pub in Moneygall at 8.30pm. €20 tickets with buy backs. All money raised will be divided between the two groups again.

“It’s a great charity to fund raise for,” said Derek’s sister, “the defibrillator might save somebody’s life in the future, that’s all we would ask for,” she said.