Santa uses crane to make special present delivery into back garden of local residents in Cork

Santa and his little helper were busy delivering presents from the sky to children in the city on Wednesday afternoon.

The presents were delivered from a height using one of the 30-metre cranes on-site at the Bandon Road student accommodation development into the garden of some local residents where four children eagerly awaited the special delivery from the man in red.

Santa received special training in recent days from experienced crane operator Frank McLoughlin to undertake the delivery directly into the back garden of the home at Lough View Terrace.

Site management staff from Clancy Construction and Associate Director Des Riordan also handed over some hampers to the children’s parents, as well as some selection boxes for the children in addition to their present from Santa.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Riordan said it was “lovely” to be able to give back to some neighbours living beside the new Bandon Road student accommodation development.

“It’s a small little gesture but I think it went down very well for everybody,” he said.

Mr Riordan said that a good relationship has been struck up between the construction company and the neighbours since moving into the site 18 months ago.

“It’s very important because a lot of times they’re the forgotten element. Our focus is that the client and the end-user get a superior product but we have to be mindful of the neighbour too and I think it’s worked very well both ways and it’s nice to be able to give back and just to see the smiles on the faces and the appreciation from the big kids and the small kids.

After the year we’ve all put in if we have the opportunity to just do a small little gesture and see the difference it makes and the memories.

"Hopefully, these kids will remember this for the rest of their lives and if you can do that and have that engagement I think everyone wins,” he said.

Mr Riordan said that the 554 bed, five-block development is on track to be completed in August 2022 after what he described as a good year on-site despite being locked down from the three months from January to April.

“It’s imperative that we reach our targets in August and we’re well underway.

“There’s five blocks, one is finished. The client was over from the UK inspecting it and said it was one of if not the best finished that they have come across so great laudits and plaudits from them and we’re on target to reach our deadline in August.

“We’re in a good place but we still have to prove ourselves but it’s going very good,” he said.