Kilkenny Person of the Year Awards 2016 - Kilkenny Civil Defence - Courage

Kilkenny Civil Defence are a voluntary organisation that has existed since the 1950's and provided support for the emergency services.

In recent years they were of great assistance to the public during the heavy snow and treacherous weather conditions in the winter of 2009 and 2010 and the floods that caused so much damage to properties and homes in the county last winter.

The voluntary members also have a water-based unit and are often involved in searches for missing persons in the Rivers Nore, Suir and Barrow.

Last December the disaster struck when the unit's headquarters was destroyed in a fire. However the resilience of the 25 plus volunteers who donate their time and energy is helping others was clear to see and within a few weeks they were back on track.

Volunteers undergo extensive training which prepares them to deal with all kinds of emergencies and offer vital support to communities in times of need.