Several pupils at a school for children with special needs were unable to attend their daily classes yesterday after flooding left some roads in east Cork impassable, reports RTE.
Bernadette School’s deputy headteacher, Coleman Motherway, has been hailed as a hero by mum Caroline Newell after she decided to take three pupils home in the school minibus.
Her 16-year-old son Harry was among them.
Ms Newell was worried about how her son would get back to the family home in Youghal when school buses were cancelled.
“We sent him off in the morning as usual, but we had no idea what was ahead,” said Mrs Newell, who is a full-time carer, reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she said: “Between the jigs and the reels and Colman driving down back roads and discovering that he couldn’t get down them, and backing up and trying various different routes, Harry eventually got home to us. He was in pretty good spirits, thankfully he doesn’t suffer terribly from anxiety, so he wasn’t very distressed. But some of the other pupils were a bit more stressed,” reports RTE.
She added: “It can be quite challenging with children who have additional needs. Harry was pretty hungry, pretty ragged, pretty tired, but safe and sound. The one I felt most sorry for was our dedicated deputy principal,” reports RTE.
“Colman then had to turn around and take the bus back up to Cork where he lives. He really did go above and beyond for those children,” reports RTE.
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