The legend that is Louie Casserly (Oranmore, Co Galway ), has announced her intention to step back from the Civil Defence after 40 years of unbroken and committed voluntary service to the organisation and to Galway city and county.
Like most things she does, Louie quietly announced it a month ago, but the Unit, has since posted to acknowledge her immense contribution on Facebook.
Louie, a familiar face in Galway, has made an incredible contribution over the decades and hundreds of people have been leaving comments with their favourite memories.
Louie has trained and been a Civil Defence mammy, to hundreds of volunteers, over the years. She was Unit officer for 4 units for decades. Leading teams to All-Ireland victory in competitions. She completed countless missing persons searches since the 1980s, and clearly defined the search areas, working closely with an An Garda Síochána.
Louie stepped up, for all of Galway's major weather events, flooding, snow, wind, rain, storm, hurricane and blizzard.
On several occasions she has played a crucial role with care of displaced people both nationally and Internationally, responding to flooding, the homeless, the Bosnian refugee crisis, the emergency response for Ukrainian refugees. She wrote the evacuation/displaced persons plans for Galway city and county.
Her contribution to the Galway Hospice has been selfless. They have had her number on speed dial for over a decade, getting patients home for Christmas, to attend weddings and special occasions, to get someone home for one last time and assisting with getting patients to treatment. Our district nurses also get her help, getting patients to appointments.
She was on duty for the two papal visits.
Every single community event in the city and environs, she has volunteered and assisted as much as possible. During Covid she immediately stepped in and, of course, played a crucial role.
There are very many private times Louie has stepped in and just made a huge difference at difficult times, for people she had never even met.
Galway, in particular Oranmore, will miss her huge contribution to the community.
We could go on and on - this is just the tip of the iceberg.
We wish Louie the best with her future.
