CRITICAL, an emergency medical response charity, is holding a Golf Classic Fundraiser to support the recently established Community First Responder (CFR) group in Ennis and a second group currently in training in the Ruan and Dysart areas of County Clare.
The fundraiser will take place at Ennis Golf Club on April 25th, with teams of four invited to enter at a cost of €160 per team. The event is sponsored by Temple Gate and Shannon Springs Hotels and a range of prizes will be on offer on the day, including awards for longest drive, nearest the pin, and the top seven finishing teams.
The CRITICAL CFR groups across Ireland are made up of volunteers from both medical and non-medical backgrounds who undertake specialised training to give them the skills to respond to high-priority and emergency situations.
The Ennis CFR group has been responding to life threatening emergencies in the town and surrounding areas since September 2025. Among the call outs were 15 incidents of cardiac arrest during their first four months in operation. The committed team of nine volunteers is continuing its bi-weekly training to advance to the next qualification level in dealing with chest pain and stroke calls.
The success of the initiative has led to the establishment of a new CRITICAL CFR group, Ruan and Dysart, located north of Ennis. The group is nearing completion of its assessment and training, and is expected to begin responding to cardiac arrests, choking and unconscious incidents in the coming weeks.
CRITICAL is a charity dependent on fundraising to deliver the crucial services they provide to local communities. The establishment of the new Ruan and Dysart CFR group is estimated to cost up to €15,000.
Helen O’Neill, one of CRITICAL’s volunteers said, “Our mission is to provide life-saving treatment in emergency situations to support the National Ambulance Service. All of our members in Ennis and Ruan and Dysart are part of the local community and want to help people when they need it most.
We would not be able to do this without the continued support of the people of County Clare. The Golf Classic is an important fundraiser for CRITICAL. We are very grateful to our sponsors Temple Gate Hotel, because of their generosity, all the funds raised on April 25th will help us to provide lifesaving care to our communities. We look forward to seeing you all take to the tee-box and drive the greens.”
Edward Walsh, CRITICAL Head of Operations & Standards said, “The success of CRITICAL’s Ennis Community First Responder group and similar teams across Ireland is only made possible by the generous support of donations from the public and the communities we serve.
We’re really proud of the Ennis group, they have been consistently training and will soon be responding to a wider range of emergency calls, making an even bigger impact in the town and surrounding areas. It is events like this fundraiser that help us to expand into more areas like Ruan and Dysart which will be operational in the coming weeks.”
CRITICAL charity has a network of more than 300 volunteer responders active across Ireland who are affiliated with the National Ambulance Service. This includes doctors and consultants equipped with emergency response vehicles and high-tech equipment; community first responder (CFR) groups; as well off-duty paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). They are alerted by the National Ambulance Service to incidents in their area.
For more information on the Golf Classic and to book a Tee time contact Helen on 085 1295844 or for more information about CRITICAL and how to donate visit http://www.criticalcharity.ie.