A 35-drive, raffle and auction takes place in O’Meara’s, Goleen, this Friday, October 23, in aid of West Cork Underwater Search and Rescue.

The unit was first formed in response to the Tit Bonhomme tragedy, in which five fishermen lost their lives. Aodh O’Donnell was first in the water on the night of January 15 2012, and despite the huge emergency response, it was clear that West Cork needed a dedicated, co-ordinated local diving service available around the clock.

The unit was established in 2014, and today the team has 25 members, ranging in age from 19 to their sixties, including 16 qualified search and rescue divers, with more close to qualifying. For many it’s a family commitment: Aodh’s own daughter, Muireann, is a member, and six other families have more than one member involved.

The unit is called out between nine and 18 times a year. It concentrates on West Cork and supports neighbouring units, which in turn support it.

The team works closely with the Gardaí, the Coast Guard, the National Ambulance Service, the Naval Service, West Cork Rapid Response, the RNLI, Civil Defence, other dive units and more. Every member is a volunteer, and the team receives no government funding, so every euro raised goes into searches, equipment and training.

Businesses across West Cork, from Goleen to Bantry to Kinsale and everywhere in between, have been generous with this year’s auction. Lots include green fees at the Old Head of Kinsale, Premium Hospitality tickets for Aston Villa v Liverpool, tickets for Munster v Leinster at Thomond Park, a signed Leinster jersey, and an original painting by Philip Watkin of Dolphin Art Studio.

Food lovers can bid on a tasting menu at Restaurant Chestnut, dinner, bed and breakfast at Casey’s, an overnight stay at the Trident Hotel, and dinners at the Kinsale Hotel & Spa, the Dock Wall and Fishy Fishy. Those who prefer the water can bid on an underwater sea safari and sauna session with Wet and Wild Tours, or a sea kayaking trip with Atlantic Sea Kayaking.

Raffle tickets are on sale now in Bushe’s, Baltimore; the Dock Wall, Union Hall; the Horse and Hound, Skibbereen; the Sandboat and O’Brien’s, Ballydehob; the Bunratty, Schull; O’Sullivan’s, Crookhaven; and the Pot and O’Meara’s, Goleen.

Cards start at 9.30pm sharp, with the raffle and auction to follow. Anyone who can’t make it on the night can still take part. Details of how to bid remotely, along with the full list of prizes, are on the event’s Facebook page. The organisers would like to thank every business and individual who has donated so far.