New boathouse will save lives

Drogheda Independent - Friday March 28th 2003

THE proposed new boathouse for Boyne Fishermen Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS) will lead to a greater emergency response service and help save more lives, it was claimed this week.

Town Clerk Des Foley confirmed that a site had been identified by BFRRS on the Marsh Road and the Borough Council will be looking at its suitability for such a facility.

‘A site at Donor’s Green owned by the Drogheda Port Company had previously been chosen but the Port Company revealed that it was not suitable. We are hopeful now that the Marsh Road site will do the job,’ said Mr Foley.

He explained that once agreement has been reached on the site, the BFRRS will then have to apply for planning permission for the boathouse.

‘It will be some months before the Boyne Fishermen will be able to operate at the site,’ he said.

A spokesperson for BFRRS said the facilities, planned for the Marsh Road, will help the rescue group deliver an improved service and cut emergency response times considerably.

‘This boathouse will prove to be as valuable as our paging system and we are thrilled to bits that Drogheda Borough Council has identified this site for the facility,’ said Mary Power.

‘At the moment we are working out of a garage in Pearse Park which means when we get a call we have to hook the boat up onto a jeep and travel to the river through the busy streets of Drogheda.’

She insisted that a boathouse would mean so much to the dedicated volunteers of the rescue service. ‘It really would mean the world to everyone involved with the BFRRS.’

© Drogheda Independent