Meet one of the Grand Marshals of today's Cork City Parade...

ANN Cronin remembers driving from the city to East Cork around this time last year, when the region had been issued with a serious weather warning.

As a volunteer driver with Bloodbike South, she didn’t think twice before embarking on her journey at 3.30am as she knew what was at stake: a child was seriously ill and had been transferred by ambulance to the emergency department in CUH, but vital medication had been left behind and was urgently needed.

When she arrived at A&E, it was rushed to the patient.

“All we do is drop and go, being out in the middle of the night ‘is what we do,’ no questions,” she says.

After March 17 this year, plenty more people will know all about the Cork-based charity which provides hospitals and other medical facilities with an out-of-hours, free transport service for things like blood, human milk, X-rays and documentation.

That’s because Blood Bike South will be front and centre as the Grand Marshal of the 2022 St Patrick’s Day Parade in the city.

The theme for the parade is ‘Heroes: Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times’ and Bloodbike South couldn’t be a more fitting choice to lead out the parade, given they were busier than ever during the pandemic, transporting Covid samples for testing.

Ann says to get this recognition is “amazing”.

She has been the manager of the SMA Parish Centre Wilton for the past 30 years and has seen many changes over that time.

A number of years ago, the late Con Cagney came to book a room for a meeting and Ann asked could she become a member or help in any way to make a difference, and so her involvement began, and she’s now both a driver and fundraising officer.

“We have a wonderful team of volunteers, so committed and giving of their time,” she points out.

The group don’t receive any government funding and have to fund-raise to keep the show on the road, and keep their vehicles up to date.

“Just as Covid hit, a group of ladies led by Sinead McGrath was supporting us to run a Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser, which we had to cancel. We had a commitment from Jim Young, of Johnson Controls, of €500 and after they reviewed our situation they pledged €10,000 towards a new bike. We currently have three bikes and a VW polo sponsored by Blackwater Motors Forge Hill which they replace every six months,” she said.

As well as being a formidable fund-raiser, Ann also drives the car. Shifts that are covered by volunteers are from Monday to Friday, 7pm to 7am, and 24 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday.

“It can be city runs all night or a second driver will cover out of town runs as far as Enniskillen to the only milk bank in the country. If a mother in the maternity hospital needs milk for her baby, she can just walk to the fridge and doesn’t need to know how it got there.

“Our volunteers are from all walks of life and I admire each and every one of them for the commitment they give.

“We have only recently been accommodated by the HSE and had the support of Pat Cronin and his team on the campus of St Finbarr’s Hospital, with a new unit to store the bikes, where we can also sit for a cuppa between calls.”

As if all that wasn’t enough, just this week Ann was involved in a big appeal for Ukraine which has been a huge success so far.

What motivates her?

“If I see a need for something, I’ll just help,” she says.

Originally from Ballyphenane and now living in Frankfield, she’s married to Roy, and is mum to David and Stephen, has two ‘wonderful daughters- in-law’ Grace and Catherine, and recently became a doting first time granny to baby Jack.

“Family is everything to me. My mother, Hannah Griffin, also gave a lot to people she knew or to support a stranger. She did it unconditionally and it’s a great trait to have passed on.”

Ann has had many happy years as a volunteer in Bloodbike and would encourage anyone thinking of giving a little back to society, to get involved.

“The rewards are immense,” says Ann.

See bloodbikesouth.ie