A recent volunteer with the RNLI lifeboat and rescue service on Lough Ree says he was inspired to join after they helped his uncle who lived on an island on the lake in recent years.
Brian Connell's Uncle John was the last resident on Inchbofin island and he was attended to by RNLI members who were first on the scene when he became ill in 2017.
Brian himself lives at Killinure in Glasson and takes a boat across the lake when he responds to a lifeboat launch alert.
This means he can arrive at the station in 6 to 7 minutes as opposed to half an hour by road.
Brian has volunteered with the service for the last year and is in charge of alerting members and lunching the boat each time a shout comes in.
Speaking on the Let's Talk show today, Brian says hearing from his late uncle how much he appreciated the service made it an easy decision to volunteer.
'It was probably back in 2017 when the RNLI lifeboat came to my uncle John's care on Inchbofin Island, and gave him casualty care until the air ambulance came to airlift him to Galway hospital.
It was after that in 2017 I always said I was going to join, and then I was out on one of the islands with Kevin Ganley who is the manager of the lifeboat station at the moment, and he asked me would I join.
I said 'of course i would' and the rest is history.'
