Order of Malta in Dundalk: Serving the community with care and commitment

The Order of Malta, a renowned charitable organisation with a rich history dating back over 900 years, has been a great example of community spirit in Dundalk since its formation in 1952.

The Order of Malta is more than just a group of volunteers; it’s a tight-knit family of 25 members committed to serving their community. The organisation is led by Officer in Charge Paul Duffy, who took up this role a year and a half ago.

When asked about his journey with the Order of Malta, Duffy shared, “I moved back to Dundalk at the end of 2010, and rejoining the unit seemed like a natural choice for me.”

But what exactly does an Officer in Charge do? In Paul’s words: You’re looking after the day to day running of the unit. We have two vehicles that need to be kept on the road and supplied and updated and properly maintained.

“So I have an Ambulance Officer who looks after that. I have a Duty Officer who looks after any of the calls that come in from people looking for assistance.

“We have a Finance Officer who has to control what we spend, and the money comes in and then they report to our a regional structure and then we have a national structure

“Under the charity regulations, all those kinds of things need to be kept in place. We have youth officers as well who work with kids aged ten to 16.”

The Dundalk unit recently underwent a successful recruitment drive, welcoming over 20 new young members who will be trained in first aid, teamwork, while alsohaving fun doing so.

Last year marked a significant milestone for the Order in Dundalk as they celebrated their 70th anniversary.

Unable to fully celebrate at the time due to Covid, the local branch plan to make up for it this year as they host the National Conference of the Order of Malta in the Fairways this weekend.

Branches from across the country will attend the three day event with a gala dinner held on the Saturday night.

The annual conference serves as an essential event for members from around the country to come together, discuss policy updates, and engage in workshops and training sessions.

It’s an opportunity for the Order of Malta to grow, learn, and connect, as Paul explains:

“We go through procedures and policies that might have been updated over the last twelve or 18 months and then just discussions on anything from the way we do duties, to what we stock in the ambulance, to uniforms.

“We’ve just recently updated this [their uniform].

“So the first part, on Saturday of the conference, is going to be all basic structure and policies and forums and we’ll have guest speakers. And then on Sunday we’re doing workshops.”

The history of the Order of Malta is deeply rooted in its charitable origins, which go all the way back to the early Middle Ages, as Paul detailed:

“The Order came back to Ireland in 1938, and the first unit was in Galway.

“But the Order of Malta worldwide is part of the larger organisation. It’s over 900 years old and dates back to the crusades.

“Our full title is, ‘The Irish Association of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.’

“They have a hospital, actually in Bethlehem at the moment. The German branch are very big into charitable works and aid work like Médecins Sans Frontières and would send doctors and carers and relief out to different areas of the world.

“There’s an annual worldwide pilgrimage each year and members would go to Lourdes. In Ireland we do an annual trip to Knock to celebrate the feast day over there. And we do a big national climb on Croagh Patrick, one in August and the other one in July.”

Competitions are another crucial part of the Order of Malta’s activities, promoting skill development, teamwork, and friendly rivalry. Cadets and seniors participate in competitions that include various scenarios, from treating heart attacks to broken bones.

These events not only hone their first-aid skills, but also teach them valuable lessons in leadership and cooperation.

In recent years, the Order of Malta has witnessed an increased demand for its services, with a notable surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We did very well”, Paul says. “Our volunteers stepped up. There was high demand from the local social services looking for assistance with people who were living on their own, who needed assistance.

“Just going to get groceries, to get medication, taking people to doctors appointments or up to hospital appointments.

“So with Covid, some of our members were laid off from work, so this was a great release for them. One of our members said it was a great thing to have. It kind of helped with the sanity just getting out and helping other people.”

Charitable work is a fundamental aspect of the Order of Malta’s mission. The Dundalk unit has long-standing commitments to institutions like St. Oliver’s and the Arch Club, providing assistance, companionship, and support.

They also organise the annual Santa run at St. Olivers, where they give out gifts to residents.

But perhaps what the group are best known for is their presence at major local events, be it at the Dundalk Racetrack or local football matches, where they deal with a wide range of injuries, and scenarios as Paul details:

“So you would get head injuries, dislocations, broken fingers. Jockeys would sometimes get their hand caught somewhere it shouldn’t be with the reins and things.

“At Football you get sprains strains and busted ankles. We sometimes cover teenage discos too, so you’d get the kids coming up with just feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed so you get a mixture.”

The Dundalk unit also collaborates with other units in the northeast region to provide comprehensive coverage for various events.

In addition, they recently partnered with the Three Arena in Dublin to provide assistance at concerts and large events.
Funding for the Order of Malta in Dundalk primarily comes from these national contracts with organisations like the Dundalk Racetrack and Dundalk FC.

But as Paul explains, when it comes to local operations: “We don’t do a set charge, [we ask them to maybe} cover the fuel or a few euro to cover a cup of coffee for somebody while they wait for you to have your appointment.

“And the same with any of the charity events, the walks and the runs and the cycles and stuff like that. If you can throw a bit of fuel in somewhere, it all adds up. The other events [national contracts] help subsidise the charity events.”

To become a volunteer with the Order of Malta, no prior training is required. As Paul explained:

“Like any voluntary organisation, when you enrol, you have to go through your garda vetting and because we’re dealing with children and vulnerable adults, we have to do the child protection course.

“And then we will train you up. If people have first aid knowledge or medical knowledge, great, we’ve got nurses and paramedics and advanced paramedics already in too.

“But we will start off with the basics. Then you progress on to first aid responder, which is your basic first aid and then you progress up to emergency first responder which is learning how to put on the collars, how to use the long boards and the combi boards, being able to use the oxygen and a certain amount of medication.

“We have members now who are on an EMT course at the moment. It’s run part time, the unit partly funds it and then they pay the rest themselves. Every ambulance that goes out on duty should have a practitioner on board. That’s so they’re licensed to transport to hospital if needed.”

What motivates Paul and his dedicated team to continue their service with the Order of Malta year after year? In his words:

“I just love helping out and it’s helping the community. I think it’s a bit of community spirit, especially with all the young lads coming in. I’ll be 60 next year. I’m looking at the future generations that will come up and you’re just helping, trying to do your bit too, having a bit of humanity and serving where we can, doing what we can, where we can.”

The Order of Malta in Dundalk is always open to welcoming new members who share their values and dedication to community service.

“We’re always looking for new members, new people, and I would always recommend somebody come down and try it …the door’s open,” says Paul.

“You don’t come in and you don’t sign on the dotted line like you have to commit immediately. There is a certain amount of commitment we would expect from some people, but if it’s not for them [that’s ok].

“Personally, I’ve kind of felt it’s brought out the good in me through helping and it’s quite a social aspect to it too.

“We’ve made some great friends over the years here and then we get the chance to go abroad.

“You join up with the competitions and the national conference, you get to travel around and you meet other people and like-minded people and you get some good friends out of it and you learn new skills as well.”

The Dundalk unit of the Order of Malta meets on Monday evenings at the Order of Malta Hall on Mill Street from 7:30pm-9:00pm.

For more details on joining the organisation contact Paul Duffy by email on: dundalk@orderofmalta.ie