This no-nonsense Ballinascarthy native got adventurous to help those in need…
As life begins to return to something approaching normality following the chaos left in the wake of Storm Emma, local heroes continue to emerge.
Following reports of people pitching in and helping out in Dublin, a local champion for rural Ireland has come along in the form of West Cork woman Betty Hennessy.
The Ballinascarthy local did what any of us in possession of a purpose-built quad bike would do, as she jumped aboard her snow-conquering vehicle and helped a neighbour who was cut off due to the high level of snow that fell along the Cork coast.
Speaking on local radio station C103 on Monday, Betty spoke of the power of local people digging in and helping one another out in a time of need.
“People are amazing,” she said. “Events like this really make you realise how lucky we are to live in such a great countryside that has such great community spirit.
“This occasion was a great event to see the way neighbours really got together, a great way of getting to know neighbours and see how they helped each other,” Betty added.
Though well used to tough conditions as a volunteer with West Cork Rapid Response, Betty says that even though her quad bike is “a great little machine that can get everywhere,” the Beast from the East proved so difficult that it dwarfed one of Ireland’s most famous extreme weather events.
“It was worse than the great snow of ’82,” she said. “I remember 1982 well, and this was way worse. The snow drifts were the real problem, and the snow was very deep, too.”
So, for anyone out there in two minds about whether or not to invest in a quad bike, now you know.
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