As of today, there are now three working defibrillators on Croagh Patrick.
The machines can deliver a dose of electric current to the heart as a treatment for a anyone suffering a life-threatening cardiac incident.
The lack of any defibrillators on Mayo’s Holy Mountain was identified by a Hollymount man, Darren Forde, who was climbing the reek with his family while on holidays in Westport, earlier this month.
He immediately vowed to rectify the situation and sixteen days later (today) he has secured the 8,000 funding needed to purchase two new machines, having received significant donations from four businesses.
He is devising a new way of charging the machines on the mountain during the winter months, with no electricity on Croagh Patrick, but for the next number of months, solar charging packs have been installed.
A defibrillator has today been installed on the shoulder, just before the cone of Croagh Patrick, and a second machine is in place at the Church on the summit. The third machine is already in place in the Car park at Murrisk and all three are now connected to the Emergency Services.
Darren has been telling Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about his 16 day quest and how he has managed to bring the installation day forward to today, as it had been planned for just before Reek Sunday at the end of July…
