Mourners told of courage of 'real hero' who died helping to save children from drowning

Stephen O'Callaghan died after heroically running into the sea to rescue swimmers who got into difficulty at Inch Beach in East Cork. Picture: Guileen Search and Rescue

The courage of “a real hero” who died while helping to save children from drowning off the East Cork coast has been remembered at a special Mass in Cork City.

Fr Joseph Ortolano paid tribute to Stephen O’Callaghan at his Latin Requiem Mass while hundreds of members of the public posted tributes to him online. 

The 55-year-old former Irish Customs official, from Ashburton Hill in St Luke’s in Cork City, died after dashing into the water to help save a group of children off Inch Beach when sea conditions deteriorated at around 2.30pm last Friday.

While the children were all rescued with the help of others, Mr O’Callaghan is believed to have been swept further out to sea after getting caught in a strong undercurrent.

He was eventually brought from the water by volunteers and attempts were made to resuscitate him but he was later pronounced dead.

On Wednesday, Fr Ortolano told mourners: “Stephen’s actions in his last day will forever remain as a mark of honour and esteem in the house of O’Callaghan."

When the service was over, Mr O’Callaghan’s coffin was carried out of the church and past a guard of honour made up of uniformed former colleagues at Irish Customs.

They saluted his coffin as it was carried past them and placed into the back of a hearse.

His elderly mother and father, Kathleen and John, emerged afterwards.

Earlier in the week, Stephen's brother Emmet said of his brother in a LinkedIn post that “unfortunately, the hero must always leave the stage early”.

He put up the heartfelt post in which he paid tribute to his brother.

Emmet said: “My brother unfortunately lost his life last Friday saving four children from drowning at Inch beach in Cork.

“(He was) a hero in the truest sense of the word who will be missed terribly by all who loved him.”

He advised others to “never miss an opportunity to tell those people in your life what they mean to you and that you love them”.

He added: “God Speed Brother and will see you soon.”

Mr O’Callaghan is survived by his parents and siblings Katrina, Keith, Mary and Emmet.

More than 500 people left condolences on his RIP.ie page, with most of them referencing and applauding him for his bravery.

A comment by one member of an unnamed Cork family was typical.

The person said that while they didn’t know him, they described Mr O’Callaghan as “a wonderful, selfless man” who risked his own life to save the lives of others and for that he was “a real hero”.

A couple called Pam and Derek Collins said he will be “forever a hero”.