Limerick’s flood ferrier rides again

Ger Hogan hit national headlines in February when, with the help of his horses, Freckles and Beauty, he rescued scores of residents trapped by floods in their homes in Limerick’s St Mary’s Park.

Ger and his two horses negotiated 4ft-high floodwaters to get many elderly people to safety in carts drawn by the Freckles, a four-year-old skewbald, and Beauty, a five-year-old Irish cob.

Ger is now the toast of Limerick tourism, having teamed up with his horses for more pleasant duties. Sarah Evans earlier this year decided to run horse-drawn carriage tours around the city.

“I have a coach for large groups and a Victorian carriage. When my permit came through last July allowing me do horse-drawn coach tours, I decided to contact Ger, who I know for years,” she said.

“I knew he was the ideal man to draw the coach and carriage with Freckles and Beauty as they are very placid and well used to traffic.

“Ger became famous during the floods when he got the two horses with traps through the floods. He’s a celebrity in the city ever since and when he is bringing visitors around on the tours, everybody waves to him and cars honk to greet him and Freckles and Beauty. The visitors on the tours think Ger is the mayor of the city.”

Ger and his trusty steeds are gearing up for a busy few days ahead with thousands thronging the city for the big Munster, Saracens rugby game at Thomond Park tomorrow night.

Ger said: “I love doing the tours around the city with the two horses. Since the floods everybody knows us.

“When President Higgins visited St Mary’s Park after the floods he asked specially to meet me with the two horses. After what Freckles and Beauty did in St Mary’s Park during the floods, they’ll never be short of hay or oats. I love showing them off on the tours around the city and they seem to love it.”