Laois Civil Defence and Order of Malta's 'amazing work' during ice and snow

Many volunteers in Laois Civil Defence and Order of Malta kindly left their warm homes and even their jobs during the icy weather, to help people in need, at no charge.

Damien Dollard, Laois Civil Defence Officer has praised his volunteers, speaking to the Leinster Express / Laois Live after the thaw.

"The majority of our 155 calls were from the HSE, with a few from the Gardaí as well. We transported staff and patients in our 4x4s. We were the main support for palliative care teams sent out to patients around the county. 

"We also drove Gardaí and Laois County Council staff to visit people at home," he said.

Damien Dollard, Laois Civil Defence Officer, with Mark Stanley, Ciaran O'Mahony, Marian O'Donoghue, Katie Sinnot and Michael York.

He listed the most inaccessible areas in Laois during the week of snow and ice.

"Wolfhill, Ballinakill and Killeshin were the hardest to get to, the Slieve Bloom area as well".

He warmly praised all the Laois Civil Defence members for their work, including members from Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Durrow, Ballacolla and Stradbally branches.

"We would be lost without our volunteers. The work done over the week was amazing. They are the bread and butter of our service, we wouldn't be able to do it without them. Some were giving up their day jobs to come on a volunteer basis," he said.

Officer Dollard said that while people followed the advice during the snow to stay safe and no rescues were required, last weekend after the thaw begun, they were called to the Slieve Bloom mountains.

"People got stuck driving in the Slieve Blooms and our volunteers had to bring them back down," Damian Dollard said.

He said they took in 12 new volunteers just before Christmas, and more will be sought later in 2025.

Their new centralised Laois headquarters at Kea Lew Park Portlaoise "really helped and made things very easy", he added.

A Laois Civil Defence member at their headquarters.

Laois Order of Malta's volunteers also braved the ice and snow to help, visiting the homes of vulnerable people to ensure they had food, medication and heat.

Caitriona Ryan is manager of Laois Volunteer Centre.

"Laois Volunteer Centre collaborated with the Social Inclusion department in Laois Partnership and Order of Malta to assist older and vulnerable people to access food, fuel and medical appointments during last week's cold weather," she said.