THERE IS dismay in Clontibret, Co Monaghan, after thieves stole a defibrillator from the grounds of the local GAA club.
Gardaí say that the piece of equipment, used to provide first aid in cardiac emergencies, was stolen from an outside wall of the Clontibret O’Neill’s GAA clubhouse sometime between September 14th and 16th.
The GAA club had sponsored the purchase of the machine and it had been installed in a glass cabinet on the outside wall of the clubhouse. The thieves smashed the cabinet and removed the machine.
Irene Clarke, of the local automated electronic defibrillator group, has described how her group are “very anxious” that the potentially life-saving piece of equipment should be returned.
Ms Clarke said: “This is a vital piece of lifesaving equipment, the members of our group would like to appeal to whoever took it to leave it back as it had virtually no resale value and can only be used by trained personnel.”
Chairman of the GAA club Colm Gormley has appealed for the thieves to return the machine.