Irish Examiner view: Above and beyond the call of duty

Iarnród Éireann employee's actions demonstrate that public service need not be an abstract concept

Three female students stranded at Colbert Station in Limerick were driven to Killarney by an Iarnród Éireann employee. File picture: Kieran Clancy

A quick sketch of the events at Colbert Station in Limerick last Tuesday evening is more reminiscent of a movie pitch being made to a Hollywood executive than a straight news report.

Three female students were hoping to make a connection at Limerick Junction to take them on to Killarney when they learned that signalling issues meant they would miss their connection to the Kerry town, where one of their mothers was waiting for them.

With the likelihood — and added costs — of bus and taxi journeys looming, an Iarnród Éireann employee saved the day. He drove them to Killarney in a staff vehicle, a round trip of almost four hours. He now seems destined to be described as a good Samaritan for the rest of his days.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

This decisive intervention deserves to be recognised for many reasons. For one, its incidental identification of the poverty of public transport possibilities in the country — when one missed connection is sufficient to leave travellers facing the prospect of an expensive taxi ride, it shows how limited the options were to begin with.

The significant take-away for most readers, however, will be the spontaneous generosity shown by someone recognising the problem faced by others through no fault of their own. 

Criticism of the public bodies of the State can sometimes appear to be a national pastime, and on occasion some of those bodies certainly do not help themselves.

It is only fair, therefore, to recognise someone going above and beyond the call of duty: Someone showing that public service need not be an abstract concept.