The St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland is to mark its centenary year in 2003 with a programme of celebratory functions.
The brigade, which was founded in 1903 at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, comprises 35 divisions and about 1,200 trained first-aid personnel, ambulance crew, nursing staff and cadets.
A familiar sight at sporting and cultural gatherings, the black-and-white uniformed volunteers have provided first- aid assistance at many historic events and tragedies, including the 1913 General Strike riots, the 1916 Easter Rising, the 1974 Dublin Bombings and the Pope's visit in 1979.
The brigade also helped to set up the first blood transfusion service in 1935, which was later taken over by the BTSB, the precursor to today's IBTS.
A voluntary, non-sectarian and non-political organisation, the brigade exists to provide "first-aid assistance to the sick and injured on public occasions". Its services, which include emergency ambulance cover and education and training programmes, are available in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
Announcing its centenary year, the brigade said its commitment to community care had "increased immensely" in recent times. "We try to identify real needs at grassroot levels as they arise and work with other voluntary organisations and statutory bodies to meet those needs."
It noted it was dependent on voluntary subscriptions from the public and local fund-raising efforts for finance. State aid was "not provided on a regular basis" but occasional grants were made available.
This year, the organisation will also be busy providing first-aid services at the Special Olympics, and other traditional events such as the Dublin Horse Show, Dublin City Marathon and various outdoor and indoor concerts.
The brigade was founded by Dr John Lumsden, former medical officer at St James's Gate Brewery, following a request to run a first-aid class for employees in 1903. The class was subsequently registered as a division of the brigade in London with 100 members.
Initially, the Irish group operated under the auspices of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England. However, this became controversial in political circles with Mr Eamon de Valera expressing strong disapproval of a foreign-based first-aid organisation operating in Ireland. The brigade responded by establishing itself as the independent entity which exists today.
