Ballycotton salutes their superhero garda
With Being Chairman Mike Development Presented The Jerry Artwork, From Lynch; Of O’brien Garda Ballycotton The
The seaside village of Ballycotton in County Cork has paid a special tribute to its own superhero following his retirement.
Garda Mick O’Brien became a social media sensation when a video of him directing traffic in the village went viral during the first lockdown.
The sunny weather on the March 22 afternoon, which was before the Government announced a total lockdown, saw hundreds heading to east Cork to enjoy the weather.
Aine Flynn, PRO of Ballycotton Development, a local group which helps keep the village in all its glory, was full of praise for the retiring Garda.
“He’s been the local Garda in Ballycotton for a long time now, he’s always been around,” said Ms Flynn.
"It was the start of lockdown, it was worse than a bank holiday weekend. There were people everywhere, it was absolute madness,” she added.
Hundreds of cars, belonging to tourists and day-trippers, had flocked to the scenic village to see the beautiful scenery and cliff walk, but were met with Garda O’Brien’s no-nonsense approach, as he sent them on their way.
“There must have been over 500 cars that day,” said Ms Flynn, who explained that there is only one way in and out of the village.
“They want to come and enjoy the beautiful view and we can understand that, but some of them pay no attention to where they park the car, which can block off the road,” she added.
“It was like that quote, where Dougal says the cliffs are closed. Well, Mick was out there telling them, ‘no, on you go, the cliffs are closed’. It was great for us to see,” Ms Flynn said.
In gratitude for his work for the community, Ballycotton Development commissioned a piece of artwork by a well-known local artist.
The piece depicts Garda O’Brien protecting Ballycotton, showcased in a comic book style, reflective of the village’s view as Garda Mick being their very own hero.
“We would have liked to have an event for Mick, but obviously, that’s not possible at the moment, maybe next year, but we wanted to do something to thank him and show our appreciation, in a funny way as well,” Ms Flynn said.
In a statement on Facebook, Ballycotton Development said:
“A huge thank you to Garda Mike O’Brien and happy retirement from everyone in Ballycotton for all the work you have done in the locality throughout the years. Maybe Marvel might have a new Super Hero on their hands with Garda Mike.”