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Blue Light Award Voluntary Service of the Year recognition for Limerick Suicide Watch
2026 Blue Light Award Voluntary Service of the Year recognition for Limerick Suicide Watch.
‘Truly overwhelming’ honour for Limerick Suicide Watch as they are announced as 2026 Blue Light Award recipients
The Limerick Suicide Watch has been proudly recognised at the inaugural Blue Light Awards with an award for the “Blue Light Voluntary Service of the Year.”
The awards shine a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements and unwavering dedication of the Irish Blue Light and Front Line Services, celebrating the remarkable individuals who keep our communities safe and strong.
Open to members of An Garda Síochána, the National Ambulance Service, Fire Services, the Irish Coast Guard, RNLI, Mountain Rescue, Defence Forces and other emergency response or frontline organisations, both voluntary and statutory, the Ireland Blue Light Awards honours excellence, innovation and service across a range of categories.
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Ten Limerick Suicide Watch (LSW) volunteers travelled to Dublin for the awards ceremony, which was held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, hosted by Alan Shortt and Pamela Ballantine.
The LSW group were nominated in the “Blue Light Voluntary Service of the Year” category alongside nine other nominees and were thrilled to scoop the award on the night.
Chairperson Yvonne Cook said, “We are so proud to receive this award – to win was truly overwhelming. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without all of the emergency services, many of whom were also deservedly recognised at the ceremony. Their support means our volunteers can go out night after night to patrol the banks of the River Shannon.
“We have been a part of over 1000 interventions since we were founded ten years ago, and it is wonderful for all of our members, past and present, to get that recognition that the work we do does not go unnoticed.”
Limerick Suicide Watch’s main focus is to keep eyes on the River Shannon and identify and provide support to those in distress and who may be contemplating suicide.
As part of their suicide awareness programme and our community outreach programme, they visit schools, colleges, places of work and local communities to provide support, promote positive mental health and encourage conversation around mental health and suicide.
Limerick Suicide Watch patrol teams are on duty Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night and cover patrols on Christmas night, New Year’s Eve, the Junior and Leaving Cert result nights.
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