Heroic Donegal man (22) who entered a burning house twice to save a man’s life nominated for bravery award

Brave Kealan Dolan from Glebe in Ballyare was travelling through Corkey, Manorcunningham on Friday afternoon when he noticed smoke coming from a cottage.

He stopped his Jeep at the roadside and bravely ran into the burning cottage.

He knew the man who lived there and began calling his name but received no reply.

Overcome with smoke, he had to leave the house but in a second act of courage, he entered the house a second time and found the man lying on the floor.

Kealan got the man out of the house to safety just seconds before the house was engulfed in flames causing severe damage to the cottage.

The rescued man was transferred to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment.

Speaking to Donegal Daily, Kealan said he had been acting on impulse and adrenaline and he was thankful that he was in the right place at the right time.

Due to his heroic and selfless actions, Chairperson of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee, Councillor Gerry McMonagle has nominated Kealan for a Bravery Award.

Cllr McMonagle said the young man deserves the award for his actions which no doubt saved a life.

“The bravery that Kealan showed should be recognised at the highest level.

“For a young man to see smoke coming out of a house, to get out of his car and to go in not once but twice, and put his own life at risk to save another man is an incredible act.

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“He should be considered for a bravery award.

“He done it off his own initiative and without a thought for himself.

“There is no doubt that he saved the man’s life,” said Cllr McMonagle.

Cllr McMonagle said Kealan is an prime example of the goodness that young people do on a regular basis.

“We hear so many bad things about our young people but at the end of the day, it is just a small minority of them.

“The vast majority of our young people are good people and I see it from being involved in the Garda Youth Awards this last five years, the amount of goodness and kindness that young people do in acts of bravery, just like Kealan is unbelievable.

“When you get an incident like this involving a young person without thought for their own health and safety and going into save an elderly gentlemen, you have to stand back in admiration,” said Cllr McMonagle.