Gardaí lauded for their bravery in attempted Kilkenny river rescue

Two gardaí was rewarded for his bravery in the attempted rescue of a young man from the River Nore in Kilkenny City.

Superintendent David Nolan and Garda John Carroll, were each awarded a Bronze medal at the National Bravery Awards 2025 which were held in Leinster House recently.

At around 2.30 am on the morning of Tuesday, April 1, 2003, gardaí responded to reports that a man had entered the River Nore at John’s Bridge in Kilkenny. Despite the freezing cold water and the fast flow of the river, Garda David 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.

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Sometime 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 John Caroll.

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.