Office of Public Works staff hailed as “Guardian Angels” by German Embassy in Ireland

Two OPW guides honoured with Bravery Award following a life-saving intervention at historic Clonmacnoise heritage site.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) today (Wednesday, 4 October) honoured two of its guide staff at a special ceremony at Farmleigh House, in the Phoenix Park.

The staff, Anthony Ryan and Aidan Doyle, were on duty at the Clonmacnoise heritage site in September of last year when a German tourist collapsed and was discovered unresponsive.

Michael Schaper, a 72-year-old German man, and his wife Heinke were on a driving holiday around Ireland in 2022, when they visited Clonmacnoise on 16 September.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O’Donovan, congratulated Anthony and Aidan on their composure in dealing with the situation:

“We are very proud in the OPW of how Anthony and Aidan responded in what was literally a life or death situation for Mr Schaper. It highlights once more how fortunate we are in the organisation to have staff of such high calibre and experience with the ability to go above and beyond the call of duty when circumstances require it.”

Deputy Head of Germany’s Mission in Ireland, Mr. Christian Resch, presented Anthony and Aidan with their awards at the event in Farmleigh today.

Mr Christian Resch said:

“We are so grateful to both Aidan and Anthony for their swift intervention in this serious situation. That day, they were the guardian angels of a German citizen, leaping into action and preserving the life of Mr Schaper. On behalf of the German embassy, we would like to thank the Office of Public Works staff for their assistance and efficient management of the incident.”

The awards formed part of a ceremony that recognises the long service of OPW staff across the organisation. The ceremony was established to ensure that staff with long years of service are recognised and in a small way rewarded for their dedication and commitment to serving the state.

Maurice Buckley, Chairman of the Office of Public Works said:

“We are so proud of our staff for their rapid response to this critical situation. They managed to remove Mr Schaper from a tight spot, administer CPR and deploy the on-site defibrillator, ultimately saving his life. Mr Schaper was airlifted to hospital from the site and, following surgery, I am pleased to say he has made a full recovery.”

Mr Schaper and his wife Heinke returned to the Clonmacnoise site this summer and were delighted to meet the heroic staff whose speedy response and actions saved Michael’s life.

Minister O’Donovan added:

“With over 2000 staff in a wide range of activities in different parts of the country, the OPW undertakes work that impacts positively on large portions of the population and that endures for future generations. I want to acknowledge first-hand the calibre and expertise of the staff here today. The very act of all gathering together to recognise your years of service is as important for the organisation and management as it is for the individual recipient. The OPW truly is a critical provider of essential services for Government and the taxpayer and is valued as such.”

For further information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

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