Photo Gallery

It has been a very busy couple of days for SARDA. On Sunday (St. Patrick's Day) Michael Grant and search dog Ziggy were called out with South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association in the late afternoon to search for three hill-walkers lost in the Comeragh mountains. As the search teams were making their way to the area, the news came in that the walkers had found a prominent land mark and knew where they were. The search dog team made their way up to meet them and accompanied them down to the car park. This was SEMRA's 2nd callout that day as they had already rescued an injured walker on Slievenamon, Co. Tipperary a couple of hours earlier; Mick also assisted with that incident. In between those two callouts, Mick and Ziggy were also put on standby for a search in Wicklow but stood down shortly afterwards. On Monday 18th March Michael Grant (with search dog Ziggy) and Louise Burgoyne (with search dog Lyla) were both tasked in the early afternoon to assist the Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue team with a search in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. The dog teams were stood down en route when the missing person was located by MR personnel and airlifted to hospital. On Monday evening, both Mick & Ziggy and Louise & Lyla were again called out with South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association to search for a walker who was lost in the fog near the top of Slievenamon. The search parties were able to get a fix on his position on the mountain using the Sarloc system, after which he was successfully located by search dog Ziggy and handler Mick. The walker and all search parties were safely off the mountain by 7.30pm. A great result all round!
Sad and poignant news today. Caitríona Lucas's (RIP) search dog Zac has passed away at the age of 14. Caitríona and Zac were on SARDA's callout list for 7 years and responded to numerous incidents around the country during their service. We will never forget them. 💔 Thank you for the beautiful photo, Bernard Lucas.
Mick observing search areas.
At the Killarney Mountain Festival after the search dog demo.
Desi and Rua.
Piper with Philip.
Martina with Ella.
Mick and Ziggy – one of our fully qualified search dog teams.
Some of the gang on Sat.
Trainee search dog Penelope keeping an eye on things.
Martina holding trainee search dog Ella who is raring to go. Desi is holding the toy.
Lou and Lyla in the national park.
Taking a break from training.
Go find!
Piper has found Anna!
Piper with... no idea who! Someone who is well wrapped up against the elements anyway. :)
Mick and Ziggy on Rossbeigh strand.
Louise giving a talk before the search dog demo on Sunday.
Waiting to be called up.
SARDA is at Killarney Mountain Festival this weekend — come and meet our dogs and handlers if you’re around! There will also be a search dog demo on Sunday at midday.
A few of our handlers met for a spot of training in Garretstown Woods, West Cork yesterday. This is trainee search dog Piper (handled by Dorothy Grimes) happy out after locating dogsbody Karolina Zavišek! Photo by Mike Palmer.
Last week search dog Ziggy and his handler Michael Grant responded to a request from the mountain rescue teams in Wicklow for search dogs. During the subsequent search, the body of the missing person was found by search dog Ziggy. Search dog Lyla and handler Louise Burgoyne were stood down en route. RIP.
Our collector organiser extraordinaire: Don with Taffy.
The Blackpool Squad: Seán, Pauliina and Tony.
Noel and Luna at Wilton.
Piper on duty.
Dorothy and Piper at Douglas Court.
Jean and Sky.
Patrick Street collectors.
We are doing our annual fund-raising collection in Cork tomorrow (Sat 12th). You will find our collectors and SARDA dogs in the city centre and all the main shopping centres (Bishopstown, Douglas Court, Douglas Village, Blackpool and Wilton) all day tomorrow. Come and meet the dogs and chat with the handlers if you're around!
A training session at the Vee in the Knockmealdown Mountains yesterday. Photo by Marie Lawlor.
A great achievement for this pair! Mick is one of our most experienced dog handlers, and both he and Louise are also members of SEMRA (South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association).
Mick being presented with his certificate by Ken Sloan.
A view down from one of the dogsbody locations.
Some of the gang on Sunday.
Mick & Ziggy.
Lou & Lyla.
Louise being presented with her certificate by Harold Burrows.
Mick and Ziggy heading for the next find.
A nice photo of one of our dog teams, Eadaoin O'Gorman & Murphy, taking a break from training in Wicklow yesterday.
SARDA held a national training weekend in Wicklow over Sat and Sun. Very poor visibility and heavy rain hampered the proceedings somewhat on Saturday, but Sunday was a fine clear day. A few of our dog teams are progressing nicely towards novice & upgrade assessments, so watch this space! Thanks a lot to everyone who bodied over the weekend, to Louise Burgoyne and Sheelagh O'Malley for organising all the practical arrangements, and to Henry Smith, Catherine Kelly, Michael Grant and Eadaoin O'Gorman for setting search areas and observing the dog teams working through them.
Very sad news today. Search dog Dexter has passed away after a short illness – far too soon, and in his prime. This is a huge loss to his handler Gerry Tobin, who is also SARDA's training officer, and to SARDA Ireland. Since qualifying as a search dog team in 2013 the pair have been on callouts all over Ireland and assisted with numerous incidents – many of them with their home team South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association. In May 2015, their skills directly resulted in saving a person's life after Dexter successfully located an unconscious casualty in difficult circumstances. Gerry and Dex have also been a familiar sight at many emergency services events as well as visits to schools – with his friendly nature, Dex was always a great ambassador for search dogs! We at SARDA Ireland can't believe that this legend of a dog is no longer with us, and our hearts are broken for Gerry and his family. Rest in peace, Dex, and thank you for your service.
SARDA held a national training weekend in Co. Waterford over Fri and Sat. Original plan had been to train at Lough Mohra in the Comeraghs on Saturday but, due to very poor visibility, we decamped to Tickincor forest nearby where we ran two search areas with Gerry Tobin, Michael Grant, Helen NicChonmara and Eadaoin O'Gorman supervising the training. On Sunday we trained at Bay Lough near The Vee. Henry Smith and Louise Burgoyne joined our merry gang for three areas, with young pupsters and more experienced dogs all going through their paces. Many thanks to all our dogsbodies and everyone else who helped out!
Sunday was a busy day for SARDA's handlers with two callouts in the Galtee Mountains. The 1st callout kicked off in the early afternoon after a hillwalker got disoriented in the heavy fog near the summit and required assistance. Two dog teams (Michael Grant with search dog Ziggy and Eadaoin O'Gorman with search dog Murphy) responded along with their home team, South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association. Happily, with assistance over the phone from the SEMRA callout officer the walker was able make his way down to meet the SEMRA hill party, and the dog teams were stood down. The 2nd tasking came at 6.30pm on Sunday evening after two hillwalkers were reported overdue to return from the Galtees and could not be contacted. SARDA handlers Mick Grant (with Ziggy) and Gerry Tobin (with search dog Dexter) were on the way to the location when the two walkers were reported safe down off the mountain by other members of SEMRA. Stock photo: SARDA dog team Mick Grant & Ziggy.
Search dog Murphy at training on the Galtees yesterday. Murphy's handler is Midletown-based Eadaoin O'Gorman. Photo by Jimmy Barry.
SARDA handler Gerry Tobin, search dog Dexter and trainee search dog Fia took part in the Emergency Services Open Day at Dungarvan Fire Station yesterday. All local emergency services were also represented, including National Ambulance Service, Irish Coast Guard, RNLI, South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association, An Garda Síochána and Civil Defence. All proceeds raised from the event will go to Down Syndrome Ireland.
SARDA trainee dogs Rowan and Finnegan cooling off in Glendasan river, Wicklow after training this morning. Photo by Anthony Quinn.
SARDA held a national training weekend in Oughterard, Co. Galway last weekend. Weather was warm both on days, but there was a nice breeze to aid area coverage. The majority of the training was done with three dog teams that have just moved up to searching large areas. Many thanks to local organiser Jarlath Folan and to all our wonderful "dogsbodies" who attended the weekend.
SARDA held a national training weekend at The Vee in the Knockmealdown Mountains over Fri/Sat/Sun. Many thanks to training officer Gerry Tobin who made sure that all three search areas were running smoothly, Gerry and Louise both for organising the logistics for the weekend, and Eadaoin, Helen, Lou and Pauliina for watching over the areas and providing feedback to the handlers. We also had quite a few new 'dogsbodies' this weekend, so it's great to see that there is plenty of interest out there in the work that we do. Thanks for all your help, and hope to see some of ye at our next national training event in Connemara at the end of May!
One man and his dog. A nice image of SARDA handler Simon Kelly and trainee search dog Flash training near Waterville, Co. Kerry earlier this week. Photo by Alena Kelly.
Last night's Nationwide programme (RTÉ One) featured Killarney-based photographer Valerie O'Sullivan and her magnificent book 'The MacGillycuddy's Reeks: People and Places of Ireland's Highest Mountain Range'. Among the highlighted images is this iconic photo of SARDA search dog Lily (sadly no longer with us), her handler Catherine Kelly and another SARDA handler, Gerry Tobin. The programme shows plenty of stunning Kerry scenery and is well worth watching! Link to RTÉ Player: https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/nationwide-21/10854945/
A group photo of some of the dogs & handlers after Sunday's training session. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.
JJ finds Desi.
Some of the gang posing with the brandy new SARDA van after Sunday's training session. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.
Meanwhile, retired search dog Koiru and her handler Pauliina were (wo)manning the SARDA stand in the main tent. Thanks everyone who called by for a chat (and a cuddle with Koiru)!
Louise Burgoyne and Lyla gave a search dog demo as part of Killarney Mountain Festival which was very well received. Our chairman Henry MCed the events while Tony bodied for the dog team.
Our new van is looking well.
Three amigos + one dog.
Jarlath & Syd.
Janet & JJ.
Mike with some of our loyal dogsbodies: Noel, Alun and Tony (in his infamous 'bee suit').
SARDA Ireland members are remembering the crew of Rescue 116 today. Dara, Mark, Paul and Ciarán – Rest in Peace.
Éadaoin & Murphy.
Search dog Dex.
Trainee search dog Fia.
Search dog Lyla.
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