Work of Meath River Rescue acknowledged by Bank of Ireland staff in memory of colleague Sean Farrelly

Bank of Ireland colleagues from its Customer Loans Solutions team and Navan Branch met with volunteers from the Meath River Rescue at the Boathouse in Navan to present them with a cheque for €61,500. The donation was made through the Begin Together Colleague Fund, in memory of their colleague, Sean Farrelly, a Manager within Bank of Ireland’s Customer Loans Solutions team who was involved in a tragic accident in the early hours of Saturday 23rd December.

In response to the accident, local volunteer group, Meath River Rescue mobilised quickly and led the search for Sean’s body in the Boyne river, with extensive support from other emergency services, local volunteers, club mates from Simonstown Gaels, other local GAA clubs and from Sean’s family and many friends, including from his native county of Cavan. Throughout the search campaign, many of Sean’s colleagues provided support each day, remembering the mentoring and support Sean had provided to them during his time with the Bank.

On day 21, Meath River Rescue recovered Sean with the assistance of Irish Underwater and other emergency services. Sean’s colleague’s wish to acknowledge the level of volunteerism shown by Meath River Rescue and the other emergency services during the relentless search, in challenging and, at times, treacherous conditions. All Meath River Rescue members are voluntary members and rely 100 per cent on donations. The level of volunteerism shown was a fitting tribute to Sean who was a volunteer with Simonstown Gaels.

Recognising the incredible work of the volunteers at Meath River Rescue, Sean’s colleagues collectively sought to support the group, in Sean’s memory, through the Bank’s internal charitable fund - the Begin Together Colleague Fund, which supports causes and charities that matter most to colleagues. The €61,500 donation supports Meath River Rescue’s continued efforts to keep the community safe by providing this vital service.

The donation is seen as a fitting tribute to Sean and the indelible mark he left on the people who worked with him. Sean’s colleagues will hold him long in their memory.