Anto retires from Greystones Fire Service after 20 years
‘ROCK solid character’ Anto Byrne has said goodbye to Greystones Fire Service after 20 years of service.
Anto joined the service in October 1996, a year after his younger brother Willie, as well as current Station Officer Ciaran Hayden.
Greystones man Anto has a tree surgeon business which is very busy and expanding out of Greystones, so he made the difficult decision to retire.
However he won’t be resting on his laurels, nor ‘retiring’ in the traditional sense of the word!
He won’t have much time for fishing or gardening, but Anto is involved with the rowing club and will be able to devote more time to that pastime.
His status as a self-employed person was always conducive to being a member of the fire service and able to answer a call at any given moment.
Anto joined as a fire-fighter and over the years he became a driver. He retired as a driver-mechanic.
Over the past four or five years he was driving the appliances.
His colleague and friend Ciaran Hayden said that Anto has a steady and cool personality. ‘He’s a rock solid character,’ he said. ‘He will stand back and have a look at things and people always respect him for that. He has a cool head and wouldn’t get excited about anything.’
One of the gifts he got from his colleagues was a climbing helmet for his business, with his name on it.
Ciaran said that Anto will be very muched missed by everyone at Greystones Fire station. ‘We’re all sorry to see him go,’ he said. ‘It was the right decision for himself, but he will be missed.’ The vacancy is expected to be advertised and the position filled in the coming months.
Ciaran and Anto were in school together at St David’s. Anto’s brother Willie remains working as a retained fire fighter with the service.
At one time there were three sets of brothers at the Greystones station. Ciaran and his brother Niall, Willie and Anto, and the two Archers.
Ciaran said that it’s great to work with your brother, as one would almost know what the other was thinking.
They all enjoyed a celebration of Anto’s career recently at the station, with some food and refreshments, and more importantly, plenty of craic and banter.