Two men who drowned while saving a couple who got into difficulty in the sea off Owenahincha strand in west Cork last September are to be posthumously awarded the State's highest bravery award.
The families of Peter O'Keeffe (36) from Ovens and Jonathan Herlihy (22) from Glanmire, both in Co Cork, will attend a private deeds of bravery (An Bonn Ghniomh Gaile) ceremony in Leinster House tomorrow, where they will receive medals on behalf of their loved ones.
The men died on September 3rd when they went to the assistance of a drowning couple, Cliona Murphy and Lee Cooley, at Owenahincha.
The men, who had not known each other, were strolling down the beach with family and friends when they heard the couple's calls for help.
Mr O'Keeffe grabbed a lifebuoy and dashed into the water with Mr Herlihy in an attempt to save the pair. Although they managed to reach Ms Murphy and Mr Cooley, they were overwhelmed by a huge wave and dragged out to sea.
The rescued swimmers were treated for shock after their ordeal but were not physically harmed.
Mr O'Keeffe's body was recovered on September 5th but it was five more days before Mr Herlihy's body was found. He was due to graduate from University College Cork with a BSc in finance in mid-September. Graduating classes observed a minute's silence in his memory.
Mr O'Keeffe was a director at Celtic Fuels Ltd on the Link Road in Cork. He was set to marry his fiancee Anne Riordan five months after the tragedy.
The gardaí who nominated the men for the deeds of bravery award told the panel the pair paid the ultimate price in order to save lives. "The two men displayed exceptional courage and heroism in the action they took - sadly it resulted in the tragic loss of their lives."
These medals are the highest honour for bravery that an Irish person can receive and it is rare for civilians to get them.
The last time a Cork man received An Bonn Ghniomh Gaile was in 2003 when Det Garda Jim Kelly's bravery in saving two people from drowning more than two years previously was recognised.
Part of the process involves witness statements before a file is sent to the An Bonn Ghniomh Gaile panel for consideration.
At the men's inquests last December, their relatives appealed to the public to be vigilant in relation to water safety.
In her witness statement, Ms Riordan called for extended lifeguard cover and improved warning signs. Lifeguards had finished their summer tour of duty at the beach two days before the tragedy and warning signs had been vandalised.