Girl (11) among Waterford heroes honoured at National Bravery Awards
Carla Murphy pictured with Diana Murphy, Sean Murphy and Isabel Murphy. Photo: Maxwell’s
An 11-year-old Waterford girl is among those Waterford heroes honoured at the National Bravery Awards 2025 presented on Friday.
The Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy TD, presented 22 National Bravery Awards to individuals from across Ireland who risked their own lives to aid others in peril.
Among those Waterfordians honoured were nine-year-old Carla Murphy, who rescued her mother from a serious assault, Dawn and Shane McLawrence for the rescue of a neighbour from a burning house, and Sergeant Fergal O’Connor for rescuing a man from the River Barrow in Carlow town.
Retired RTÉ Presenter, Joe Duffy, was the MC for the ceremony held on Friday, December 5.
Carla Murphy is this year’s youngest recipient, receiving a silver medal for her courageous act of bravery.
At approximately 7.45 pm on December 20, 2023, under cover of darkness, an intruder entered a house in Waterford City. The man climbed onto a flat roof and entered an upstairs bedroom. Carla’s mother was in the bedroom at the time and was shocked by the appearance of the man in the bedroom. She started to scream and shout at the man, who grabbed at her violently and tried to choke her.
While this was happening, then aged nine, Carla rang her father. He could hear the screaming and shouting on the phone and told her to stay in her bedroom while he called the Gardaí. Somehow Carla’s mother managed to get free and got her assailant down the stairs and out of the house. However, when she went back upstairs to lock the door to the flat roof, he had already pushed through the door and was attacking her again, pushing her down on the bed, covering her mouth to prevent her screaming.
Carla heard the struggle and rang her father again. Despite being told to stay in her room, Carla was so scared for her mother that she opened her door and ran to the kitchen. Although only nine years old and petrified with fear, she took a knife from a kitchen drawer and went up the stairs to try to help free her mother.
Carla’s mother managed to get her nails into the attacker and was able to flee the bedroom and the house with Carla. At this stage, the Gardaí arrived on the scene and Carla was able to tell the Gardaí that the man was still upstairs. At this point the man fled and was arrested by the Gardai a short time later, hiding in a neighbouring garden.
For her actions, Carla was awarded a Silver medal and a Certificate of Bravery.
At around 10.30am on the morning of November 24, 2023, Dawn McLawrence was walking past a neighbour’s house when she noticed smoke coming from the building.
Having earlier spoken to the occupant, who told her she was feeling unwell and going to bed, Dawn tried to get in through the front door, but it was locked and there was no answer when she rang the bell.
Dawn then ran into her own house and alerted her 21-year-old son Shane, and together they tried to get in through the back door. The door was locked but Shane grabbed a shovel and broke the glass so that they could reach in to unlock it.
When Dawn and Shane got in the kitchen was full of smoke, and after opening an internal door they discovered the smoke emanating from the hallway. Due to the smoke, they found it hard to see anything, but they made out the occupant unconscious and unresponsive on the floor of the hall, with flames coming from the living room.
The heat from the flames was intense, but Dawn and Shane grabbed their unconscious neighbour and began to pull her back down the hall. Due to the large amount of thick black smoke they had to take turns, one dragging the woman, while the other would protect their mouth to draw a breath. After managing to pull her from the hallway, they made it back out through the kitchen and into the rear garden. All three persons were treated by attending paramedics a short time later and went on to make a full recovery.
For their actions, Dawn and Shane McLawrence were each awarded a Bronze medal and a Certificate of Bravery.
On October 28, 2019, at approximately 3.10am, Garda Fergal O’Connor and members of his unit were about to cease duty when it was reported that a young man had gone into the River Barrow at Graiguecullen Bridge in Carlow. When they got to the scene, several Gardaí had thrown life buoys towards the man in the water, but he had made no effort to grab them and was being dragged out further into the river.
As the Barrow was heavy in flood at the time and the man was being swept closer to a dangerous weir, it became clear that someone would have to enter the river.
Without hesitation, Garda O’Connor took off his shoes and stab vest and jumped into the water. The night in question was extremely cold, about 2 degrees, so the water temperature was also very low.
Garda O’Connor grabbed a life buoy in the water and swam through the darkness out towards the man. When he got to him, he grabbed the man by the collar and began swimming away from the weir, back towards the bank. The man made no effort to swim or otherwise assist in his own rescue, but Garda members on shore were able to pull the rope on the lifebuoy to haul the pair back out of the current.
The Gardaí on the shore then helped Garda O’Connor get the man out of the water, and fire and ambulance services arrived shortly after. The man was later transferred to Portlaoise Hospital, where he made a full recovery.
For his actions, Garda (now Sergeant) Fergal O’Connor was awarded a Bronze medal and a Certificate of Bravery.
‘Selflessness and courage’ Speaking to guests at the ceremony, the Ceann Comhairle said: “It is a significant day for all those who will see, or hear, or read about these brave deeds and feel better to know there are still good things being done, by good people. To all of our award recipients, on behalf of the people of Ireland let me thank you again for your actions, for your selflessness and for your courage.
“What you have done has made the world feel a little less dark, a little less dangerous and gives hope to us all for the road ahead.”
