National Bravery Awards celebrate heroes from around the country

Heroes from across the country are being recognised this afternoon at the National Bravery Awards.

The event in Farmleigh in Dublin praises some of the people who have put their lives on the line to save others from harm.

Luke Foley and Katie McCabe from Dublin are receiving an award for rescuing a woman – who had had an epileptic fit – from train lines at Bayside DART station.

Roisin Halligan receiver of bronze medal for bravery the ceremony in Farmleigh House on Friday where Ceann Comhairle, Sean Barrett, present 42 awards in recognition of outstanding acts of bravery today in Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park

Katie had been grounded by her father for being at the tracks – something he lifted when he found out what she had done.

She described the scene on the night.

“We boosted her up and then we had to put her on her side, ‘cos my sister has Epilepsy so I knew what to do, to put her on her side like.

“And after we put her on her side the police and all came and then she came out of her seizure that she was in and then she was just saying that her head was sore and she wouldn’t get into the ambulance or anything, she said she was grand.

“But we were just worried that anything else would happen to her that night. It was very scary at the time.”

Róisín Halligan is another who received an award today. Róisín saved her toddler cousin's life when a petrol bomb was thrown through the front window of her grandmother's house.

Róisín ,who was 11 at the time, was badly burned in the attack.

She described the scene after the bomb came through the window and she rescued her cousin Lexie.

“Closed my eyes and then I opened them back and I ran out and I thrown Lexie to my mam and I ran out and my auntie Linda didn’t hear anything so I ran over and told her.

“And the skin was coming off my toe, from the burn, and I went in and the blood was all over Linda’s floor and then the ambulance came and I was rushed to hospital.”