Conor blows 1918 record clean out of the water

A WORLD record set in a Belfast shipyard in 1918 has been blown out of the water by an Aer Lingus engineer celebrating his 50th birthd ay in a maintenance hangar in Shannon.

Conor McCarthy, from Adare, took 5 hours and 32 minutes to drill in 12,613 gold-coloured rivets into a eight foot mosaic which he created to celebrate Aer Lingus’ 75th anniversary and his own half-century.

The feat surpassed two targets in the Guinness Book of Records and leaves the Aer Lingus engineer and his colleague, Michael Fitzsimons, on course to enter the next edition of the Guinness Book of Records.

After putting down his drill, Mr McCarthy said the hours he spent fixing the rivets, and the tedious preparation throughout the past five months, had been worthwhile.

“It was really hard work but I feel great. Apart from getting married and the kids being born this is right up there.

“It was a formidable task but I am just really glad we did it,” he said.

The record attempt was watched over by the mayors of Clare and Limerick and an independent expert from the Irish Aviation Authority, Martin Purcell.

The finished work of art is a 100kg aluminium replica of the original wings and shamrock emblem of Aer Lingus. The material used for the world record bid had to be sourced from mainland Europe and America.

The mosaic will be brought to Dublin where it will be shown off at a broader exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of the incorporation of Aer Lingus next weekend.

The challenge was set to raise money for St Gabriel’s special school in Dooradoyle.

Donations can be made at: mycharity.ie/events/conormccarthy guinnessbookrecord or through AIB bank sort code 935093. Account number 05458091.