Hero Ger keeps his cool as bus with 44 children bursts into flames.

A hero coach driver was praised by gardaí after he drove the on-fire vehicle through a tunnel and brought the children on board to safety.

Shortly before 10.50am yesterday, Ger Mackey noticed a funny smell as he drove his bus from the East Cork approach to the traffic lights at the roundabout adjacent to the city’s Jack Lynch Tunnel.

He was carrying 44 children and five teachers from Kilcredan National School to the Sciath na Scoil finals in Páirc Uí Rinn, and thought for a moment that one of the youngsters onboard had let off a stink bomb.