Kerry heroes to the fore this year as they go above and beyond their duty

IT mightn’t have seemed like it at times, but it certainly was not all doom and gloom around the county this year, with many feel-good and heroic stories making the headlines.

Whether it be sporting wins or just simple tales of heroism by ordinary folk, it’s certainly been a year that has seen some of Kerry’s finest step up to the plate when they have been needed the most.

First up, we have the story of Valentia man Mike Moriarty, who was hailed a hero in May after he jumped off Valentia pier to save the lives of an America couple, who accidentally drove off the edge of the pier and became trapped in their sinking vehicle.

The couple, who were in their late 70s, were believed to have been holidaying in Killarney when the accident occurred.

Mike (21) was home from Malta, where he works, and was enjoying a pint in the

Royal Hotel when he was alerted to the situation unfolding.

“Someone told me that they thought there was something in the water. At first I couldn’t see anyone, but then I realised there was a woman in the car, and I took out my phone and wallet and went into the water,” he said, speaking to The Kerryman in May.

The trapped couple were unable to open the door against the force of the water. But quick-thinking Mike went straight for a back door of the car, opening it to let the water in and equalize the pressure.

“They were really shook up. They were definitely in there a few minutes. They couldn’t open the door and get out,” he said.

“I think they pressed the accelerator instead of reverse and ended up off the pier. I just jumped in. I didn’t even think about it. It was adrenaline. Anybody would have done the same,” he said.

It doesn’t bear thinking what might have happened had Mike had not been there to save the day.

Another hero we have to celebrate is Cork mother Grace Healy, whose husband, Philip, hails from Ardfert.

Grace performed a miracle recovery on her two-year-old son, David, in August after she – a qualified nurse – performed urgent life-saving CPR on him at his grandparent’s house in Ardfert after he began choking on peanuts.

David began to turn blue and became limp and unresponsive after peanuts became lodged in his throat.

After performing almost three minutes of intense CPR on the toddler, Grace and her husband raced to Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital, where David underwent emergency surgery, with four peanuts removed from his left lung.

“He still couldn’t breathe and was turning blue quite quickly. I continued to do another couple of cycles of backslaps but