‘Genial giant’ Adrian had a huge impact in Fire Brigade
By Hayden Moore
EMERGENCY Services nationwide are this week mourning the tragic death of their colleague Adrian O’Grady, describing him as a “genial giant”.
The Station Officer in Tallaght Fire Station died suddenly on Monday afternoon, after 24 years of service, at the age of 47.
Station officer Adrian O’Grady of Tallaght Fire Station
A resident of Castle Riada in Lucan, Adrian used to make a 10km cycle to work in Tallaght Fire Station and was a key player in bringing CISM, a peer-support service for emergency services, into the force.
After the loss of his friend and colleague, District Officer Peter Navan told The Echo about how much of an impact Adrian had on the force and how he was so “easy and approachable”.
“To say that the fire service is shocked would be an understatement – emergency services all across Ireland are absolutely devastated by the news of Adrian’s passing,” said Mr Navan.
“He was a genial giant who reached out to his peers through his counselling service, he headed the Critical Incident Stress Management team. Adrian joined the fire service in 1995 and touched so many people during that time.
“He was a big guy, with a big laugh and big hug, and he has left behind a major void.
“He spoke at so many conferences all over Ireland and in America, he was that sort of guy, just so easy and approachable.
“He was the sort of person who would always do his best for other people, Adrian just lived to help. He was the perfect person and there are no airs and graces about that.”
As a young man Adrian used to make the journey from his home in Perrystown to St Anne’s GAA club, where he played midfield for the Under 21 and senior sides – even making the Dublin Blue Stars squad.
Adrian O’Grady (back row, far right) supporting The Echo cyclethon fundraiser in The Square last November with staff from ‘D’ Watch in Tallaght Fire Station, Echo staff Maurice Garvey, Wendy Byrne and Gar Mockler and volunteers from Social Circle
“Adrian would have played football with us for 15 or 16 years, with the seniors and Under-21s, he was a midfielder,” said Gerry Anderson, Vice Chairman of St Anne’s GAA.
“He would have been to the forefront of a very good team at the time and was a very committed, wholehearted fella who would have been very well respected.
“Everyone here that knew him is very upset and from all of us here at St Anne’s GAA club, we send huge sympathies to his family during this time.”
Adrian O’Grady is survived by his wife Helen, two sons Sean (15) and Paul (21), daughter Kate (16), his mother and father, mother-in-law, brothers, sister, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews.
