Uachtaráin na hEireann marks 75 years of Civil Defence in Ireland

Today, 8 May 2025, President Michael D. Higgins hosted officers and volunteers from Civil Defence units across the country to mark 75 years of Civil Defence in Ireland.

The President paid tribute to decades of service by Civil Defence Volunteers.

The Civil Defence is organised on a local authority basis across the State. The organisation was first established by the government in December 1950, in preparation for a potential nuclear war which was then seen as distinctly possible. At that time, the emphasis was on war response, including search and rescue, medical first aid, and welfare through rest centres.

The modern Civil Defence has evolved into a professionalised volunteer service, specialising in the use of drones and thermal cameras for search and rescue, and operating a modern fleet of response vehicles and boats. The organisation supports the Principal Response Agencies in a variety of emergency and non-emergency duties, including medical response and extreme weather response.

Across the country, Civil Defence supports more than 3,000 duties every year. Many of the non-emergency response duties are in support of local communities. To ensure it can continue to serve local communities, Civil Defence needs volunteers from all communities, and is actively recruiting across the country for a range of skillsets.

Press Release here