ON Champions Weekend at the Curragh, I was presented with a cake and bottle of champagne by Dr. Adrian McGoldrick to mark my 80th birthday. It was a wonderful, if somewhat unexpected, gesture which I greatly enjoyed and appreciated.

As one of a handful of octogenarians still volunteering with the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps, I hope to continue in this role for as long as I am able.

A neighbour of ours, Jack Maher, established the Order of Malta in Drimnagh parish where I grew up. When I reached the age of 12, there were no scouts or football teams vying for my attention, so out of necessity as much as anything else, I joined the Junior Branch [Cadets, Order Of Malta].

The organisation was still in its infancy in those days so held a curious fascination for young lads such as myself. Perhaps, if there had been a different distraction available at the time my life would have taken an alternative route.

However, the Order of Malta instilled discipline and respect in us, teaching us how to march and parade, as well as the practical side like giving first aid. Being too young to travel in an ambulance, we mostly helped out at Sunday morning masses.

In those days, people used to fast all night on Saturday, so you can imagine the job we had carrying ladies out of the church at vigil masses!

At 16, I graduated to working with an ambulance crew, which mainly consisted of transporting patients to and from nursing homes. With very few private cars on the roads back then, the Order of Malta took on such responsibilities.

First time

That same year, 1957, I attended Naas racecourse for the first time in an official capacity as part of an ambulance crew. There was no road for vehicles to follow the runners around at that time, so the ambulance would be parked up with each of us assigned a fence to stand beside.

If a jockey fell, we would stay with them and provide medical care until the ambulance was able to make it to that particular area of the racecourse. I was still in secondary school, so my volunteer work was restricted to weekends and holidays.

From September to Christmas, much of my time was spent helping transport passengers to and from Dublin airport, on their way to Lourdes on pilgrimages. Very few families had cars so the Order of Malta stepped in to provide the necessary transport.

After finishing in school, I followed my father into the book binding trade, before later working as a Weights & Measure Inspector [Legal Metrology Inspector]. While I remained employed in that capacity by Dublin City Council until my retirement 15 years ago, I continued to volunteer with the Order of Malta at weekends and evenings.

As part of the Dublin Unit, I covered race meetings at Leopardstown, Bellewstown, Punchestown, Naas, Navan, the Curragh and in the good old days, the Phoenix Park.

New faces

Most of the jockeys I knew well have long retired from the saddle and nowadays it is hard to keep track of the new faces coming through. Barry Geraghty and Davy Russell were two lads in particular that I got on really well with over the years – many the time they passed through the ambulance.

The Order of Malta has been part of my life almost all my life; a family to me. I was in charge of the Raheny and Baldoyle branches for many years, helping to set up the latter.

Over the years, my own kids got involved with volunteering and nowadays, it gives me great satisfaction to see the number of young lads and girls that are coming along.

Due to my age, I was forced to take a break once Covid set in and to be honest I was completely lost. As soon as the restrictions were lifted, I was straight back out there doing a job that I love.

Volunteering with the Order of Malta had always been a hobby away from the day job, so to have that taken away was quite difficult.

As a member of the ambulance corps, I am full trained to deal with any emergency be it small or large. For many years, I trained people in First Aid and taught adult education classes in that subject.

We didn’t charge anybody in the old days as First Aid was seen as something essential but it has since become big business, with companies paying to have their staff instructed on how to deal with emergencies.

The Order of Malta provides many different services to the wider community including feeding the homeless, respite care, training and education and offering First Aid/event medical services. I am proud to be able to contribute in my own small way; helping people and providing a service. I hope to continue to do so as long as I am able.

Tony Murray was in conversation with John O’Riordan