Not all heroes wear capes but here are two from the travel trade who have hearts of gold.
Maura Fahy (Fahy Travel Galway) would like to commend and highlight the effort and support from two travel industry colleagues – Donal Healy (Knock Airport) and Pearse Keller (Keller Travel Ltd) along with Annette Hynes’s husband, Mike Hynes, who got her and Annette home on Friday.
On Thursday evening, Maura Fahy and Annette Hynes celebrated with the Irish travel trade at the Irish Travel Industry Awards. On Friday morning, like the rest of the country, they woke to the country-wide red weather alert – the capital was in the full swing of Storm Eowyn.
Staying put in the city was not a favourable option. Maura’s daughter was celebrating her 21st on Friday night and like every Irish mom I know, Maura had her heart set on celebrating by her daughter’s side.
Heroes Don’t Wear Capes
Maura explains that both trains and buses from Dublin were cancelled. Knock Airport’s Donal Healy rose to the challenge and offered a lift to Athlone.
The trip was fraught with trials and tribulations. Communication methods had returned to the dark ages. Wifi and phone signals were non-existent outside the Pale.
Donal’s brightly branded Ireland West electric vehicle was uncomfortably close to running out of juice. The first garage was without power and closed to customers. Edging closer to the destination and also a drained battery, finally, a garage with some services materialised through the mist, gale-force winds and heavy rain.
Despite the credit card machine not working and the phones still not connecting to a mobile network, the party of travellers trudged onwards with Athlone finally in their sights.
Eventually, a weak phone signal flickered and contact was made with Pearse Keller. Coming to the rescue, he connected with the group and took the weary travellers to Loughrea to meet with Mike, Annette’s husband.
Forget Superman, it’s Supermacs to the Rescue
Journeying across the country, the phone signal disappeared and there was no way to contact Mike. Pulling into the Plaza at Loughrea, forget Superman, it was time for Supermacs to spring to the rescue. Supermacs had a generator and sporadic weather-impacted wifi. Pat McDonagh (founder of Supermacs) spotted the ladies’ distress and offered the use of a landline.
Meanwhile, Mike Hynes had a similar idea (clearly Supermacs is the solver of problems) and journeyed to the Plaza to see if a wifi signal there could put him in contact with Annette & Maura.
Reunited and homeward bound, Mike drove Maura and Annette the final leg of the trek.
Fair play to all and a reminder, the Irish travel industry doesn’t just arrange travel, they go that extra mile. They care. And in the world we live in, that matters the most. Family. Friends. Connecting with others and a real sense of community.
I’m delighted to be able to share Maura’s story. Safe travels and a belated happy birthday.
