Waterford Leader Partnership

South East Mountain Rescue

This project was part funded by Waterford Leader Partnership under the Rural Development Programme.

Established in 1977 S.E.M.R.A. (South East Mountain Rescue Association) provides a voluntary professional mountain search and rescue service to the South East of Ireland.  All members are volunteers, who provide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year voluntary mountain search and rescue service. Members are mostly drawn from local mountaineering and walking clubs in the Southeast.  SEMRA’s members are trained in searching, steep group rescues, first aid, casualty evacuation, managing and planning searches and radio communication.  Members receive no payment for mountain rescue.  Government grants cover only basic personal insurance and basic training.  Remaining finance is sought through fundraising and sponsorship. Currently, the group has no permanent base from which it operates.   They hope to be successful in securing a location over the next 12 months. The establishment of a centre would greatly assist the group in centralizing their operations and provide them with much needed storage and training facilities.  At present the group uses Ballymacarbry’s newly constructed centre and hostel for all appropriate training.

In March 2009 SEMRA was successful in securing 75% of grant assistance towards eligible expenditure.  The group purchased essential equipment including search lights, first aid bags, oxygen caddy, handheld radio’s, and a base and hand unit.  The group expressed the significance of the newly purchased equipment in improving the quality of assistance provided to injured and lost persons on the mountains.