Two Irishmen, neither in the regular service of the Institution, have each been awarded bronze medals for an unusual and gallant rescue carried out on the morning of 29th June, i964,atMeenogahane, Co. Kerry. The two men are Mr. Patrick O'Connor of Meenogahane and Sergeant William McCarthy.

When it was learnt that two men on board the 32-foot fishing boat Beal Eairbeirt were stranded on Bird Rock they decided to put out in a currach which had not been in the water for about 12 months. A strong breeze was blowing from the west-north-west, with a moderate sea and swell. The weather was clear and it was two hours after high water.

Meenogahane pier is situated in a cleft in towering cliffs. It is approached by a narrow lead between dangerous rock ledges, and in the conditions prevailing at the time considerable skill and courage were needed to put to sea in a currach through the broken water.

PAST RUGGED CLIFFS Once they had cleared the water the two men continued on their two-mile passage. The coastline consists of rugged cliffs, flanked to seaward with rocks, and apart from Meenogahane pier the only point at which they could land was Clahaneleesh.

At Clahaneleesh beach there were a number of people who were able to direct the currach to the two men in distress, and eventually these men were located about a quarter of a mile south-west by west from Bird Rock.

The time was then 10.15 a-m- With considerable difficulty the two men were pulled aboard the currach, an operation which lasted a full quarter of an hour, and the currach was then rowed to Clahaneleesh beach, where she arrived at 11 a.m.

CORONER'S PRAISE One of the men, John Tyrrel, was unconscious when he was picked up.

Sergeant McCarthy tried both the mouth-to-mouth and Garland methods of resuscitation, but without success, and the man was dead by the time the beach was reached. The other survivor, Jonas Whelan, was landed safely.

At the subsequent inquest, Mr. J. S.

O'Reilly, coroner for North Kerry, said that he did not think any words were possible to describe the courage of Sergeant McCarthy and Mr. O'Connor, who had gone out in the canoe in a rough sea to the aid of the two men.

"I think it was a very brave act and deserving of the greatest commendation," he said. He also paid a tribute to the fortitude of Mr. Whelan..