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Mountain Rescue is a 24 hour 999/112 emergency service provided by unpaid volunteers. We are a registered charity (CHY10412).
About Us
This is the website of Mountain Rescue Ireland which represents the twelve voluntary mountain rescue teams on this island. Mountain Rescue Ireland is also known as Tarrtháil Sléibhe Éireann and the Irish Mountain Rescue Association (IMRA). We are also a registered charity (CHY10412).
Mountain Rescue is a 24 hour 999/112 emergency service provided by completely unpaid and voluntary teams funded by government funds and public donations.
In an emergency, a mountain rescue team is called-out by phoning 999/112 and asking the emergency operator for 'Mountain Rescue'. You will then be put through to a Garda station where your call will be answered, the situation assessed and, if necessary, the team called out.
All our MRTs come together to provide the first aid coverage for the Pilgrims on Reek Sunday each year.
Members of the Donegal and GOI MRT stretcher a casualty to the Air Corps' Air Ambulance (Reek Sunday 2008).
The twelve teams that MRI represents are:
- Donegal Mountain Rescue Team
- Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team
- Galway Mountain Rescue Team
- Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team
- Kerry Mountain Rescue Team
- Mayo Mountain Rescue Team
- Mourne Mountain Rescue Team
- North West Mountain Rescue Team
- Search and Rescue Dog Association of Ireland (SARDA)
- Sligo/Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team
- South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA)
- Tramore Cliff and Mountain Rescue Team
The teams consists of over 365 men and women who provide a voluntary emergency service to people lost or injured while walking or climbing in the mountain ranges of Ireland. This 24 hour 999/112 emergency service is funded by state funds and public donations.
MRI has the following objectives:-
- To assess and keep under review the requirements of mountain rescue services.
- To establish mountain rescue services as required to benefit the public.
- To act as a central organisation in liaison with civil and service authorities.
MRI operates as a co-operative association of the teams that works on consensus, using a development plan, for the best interest of the teams and the casualty. Each team has developed administrative and operational practices based on their experience of working in their local communities and terrain. MRI respects the tradition of each team and at the same time looks to identify opportuniteis to benefit all teams and to promote practices developed by one team which will benefit all teams. It works with the teams to offer national events to aid and assist in the development of the teams. These events include:
- Induction Course (for new trainees)
- Equipment Course (for Team Equipment Officers)
- Train the SAR Trainer Course (for Team Training Officers)
- Party Leader Course
- National conference and AGM (hosted by and rotated amongst the teams)
- National Training Exercise (hosted by and rotated amongst the teams)
- National Operation ("Reek Sunday", Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo, the last Sunday in July)
At the local level, each team also develops its own schedule of management meetings, training, and fundraising to make sure that its members are appropriately skilled and equiped when needed.
MRI as founded in 1965 and over the years had established links with other agencies to ensure that it has the most up-to-date information and the necessary resources to respond to incidents. These links include (in no particular order):
- Order of Malta
- Irish Red Cross
- Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI)
- Irish Coast Guard (IRCG)
- Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA /NI) [ formerly known as HM Coastguard ]
- An Garda Siochana (AGS)
- Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Coillte
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
- Department of Justice
- Department of Defence
- Irish Air Corps
- Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service
- Civil Defence
- Pre Hospital and Emergency Care Council (PHECC)
- Bord Oilunt Sleibhe (BOS - the Irish Mountain Training Board)
- Mountaineering Ireland [ formerly known as Mountaineering Council of Ireland (MCI) ]
- Irish Cave Rescue Organisation
- Austrian Mountain Rescue Service (aka Österreicher Bergrettungsdienst)
- Mountain Rescue England and Wales
- Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
- Mountain Rescue Association (USA)
- International Commission of Alpine Rescue (IKAR)
The role of teams has diversified greatly over the past number of years and Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) are now called out to assist in a wide range of incidents and circumstances. As a result, the training that teams engage in has also diversified. Current roles for MRTs include:
- Mountain Search and Rescue
- Aircrash Response in Remote Environments
- Severe Weather Support (Snow, Storm and Flood)
- Missing Person Search in non-mountain environments
- Swiftwater Rescue (Not all teams)
- Animal Rescue in Remote Environments (Not all teams)
This diversification can be summed up by this quote from Bob Sharp and Judy Whiteside, authors of the book "Mountain Rescue"....
... why is it that mountain rescue teams are called upon - for such a diversity of situations, many completely unconnected with mountains, walking and climbing - in the first instance? What prompts the police to request the help of a mountain rescue team when an incident occurs only yards off the urban track and far away from high mountains? We could sum it up in three words - SKILL, MOTIVATION and EXPERIENCE.In Ireland, it can be summed up by our commitment to our mission - Guiding You Home.