Bravery award for Navan-born Garda

A Meath-born garda has been honoured for his bravery after he pulled a woman to safety from the River Boyne.
Garda John Reilly is a native of Navan and is currently stationed in Drogheda. A son of John and Anne Reilly who grew up on Navan’s Academy Street, he was recently presented with a bronze medal and a certificate of bravery from Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett at a ceremony at Farmleigh House.
The honours are awarded by Comhairle na Mire Gaile, the Deeds of Bravery Council, which was established in 1947 to provide for suitable recognition by the State of deeds of bravery.
At 11.50pm on 8th August 2011, Garda Reilly and a colleague responded to a call to go to Horse Lane, Drogheda, where there was a report of a woman standing close to the water’s edge along the embankment. Two other gardai also attended the scene.
“I was in the patrol car with another garda when a 999 call came through that there was a woman standing on the edge of the river. We went down but it was black dark and you couldn’t see anything,” recalled Garda Reilly this week.
Shining a torch, he said they came across a pair of runners with a phone in them on a bench and when they shone the torch down on the bank, they saw a woman standing there.
They called for assistance and the Coastguard was also alerted.
“A female garda came down and kept the woman talking to distract her and I tried to get close to her but she jumped off the pier onto the bank. Another colleague lowered me down the drop and I was just about to grab her when the helicopter came and she jumped in.
“I jumped in after her and grabbed her and began swimming back to the bank and the Coastguard got us out,” he said.
Garda Reilly recalled that Boyne was very cold and fast-flowing on the night.
The woman suffered some mild hypothermia and was wrapped up and taken by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
If it wasn’t for the swift actions of Garda Reilly, there is no doubt the incident could have resulted in a loss of life.

The garda, who still lives in Meath, said he was shocked to get the letter to say he had been nominated for the award and he was one of 21 recipients presented with awards at the ceremony in Farmleigh.

Garda Reilly was accompanied by his wife, Sonya, eldest son Evan (6) and his parents, John and Anne, at the ceremony. He is also father to Shane (3) and Sarah (15 months).
His brother, Michael, is also a garda and is based at Navan Garda Station.
Garda Reilly was previously stationed at Dublin’s Store Street where he was a community garda for Sheriff Street. He was transferred to Drogheda in November 2008 and has been there since.