Editorial: Brave Kilkenny heroes deserve our applause

Two local heroes are being celebrated this week for their selfless and vital interventions to help others who would otherwise be facing very different circumstances.

One of them, David Dunne, has been awarded a Silver Medal and Certificate of Bravery for his actions. He was at a park in Graignamanagh when he noticed a man and three children in difficulty in the river.

Together, with another man — Mike Bolger from Carlow — David swam to get one of the children and the man, who was struggling against the strong river current.

David saved the man and helped a boy ashore and then swam to another girl who was clinging to a tree out in the middle of the river. He managed to help save her, and along with Mike also rescued the other girl.

Meanwhile, separately but no less importantly, Betty McCormack from Dunnamaggin has been named Kilkenny’s family carer of the year 2023.

Betty received the honour in recognition for the work she does caring for her son Noel. Noel was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was a child and suffered a stroke in 2017.

Betty has been caring for Noel for 35 years. Fittingly, Betty was nominated by her other son Tom. Well done to her and her family on the award.

It is people like David and Mike, and Betty, who go out of their way to do extraordinary things to help others. We are lucky to have them as part of our community, to be a source of hope and inspiration to go and do likewise.

JUSTICE FOR DAN
North Kilkenny farmer Dan Brennan deserves answers to what happened on his land over a decade ago. The trees died, his cattle withered and wasted away. All the while he did the right thing, and asked the right questions.

But the answers have been less than satisfactory. As one TD put it, he has been through hell and back. He is justifiably frustrated and deserves to not be fobbed off by a minister or department in his quest for the truth.