One thousand meals served on Christmas Day at Cork's Penny Dinners

IT was hailed as “a miracle on Little Hanover Street” as Cork Penny Dinners served 1,000 hot meals on Christmas Day.

The work to prepare the Christmas dinners began long before dawn, and the clean-up afterward lasted long past dusk.

With Santa MC-ing and the High Hopes Choir singing, over a thousand meals were served in a warm, friendly atmosphere which showed the very best of Cork at Christmas time.

Penny Dinners co-ordinator Caitríona Twomey told The Echo the day had been the result of the hard work of over 50 volunteers.

“Everyone in Penny Dinners would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all who helped to create a miracle on Little Hanover Street this Christmas, against all the odds," Ms Twomey said.

Christmas day in Cork Penny Dinners began in sadness when one volunteer, Olive, met a young man crying with loneliness on the street, and brought him to give him warmth and company.

“The Barrack Street Band then came and they were playing Silent Night and he was crying throughout, and I thought I’d break in two, it was heart-wrenching to see,” an emotional Ms Twomey said.

She added that volunteers had shown the young man every kindness, arranging to help him into the future, and would stay in touch with him.

Penny Dinners on Little Hanover Street closed for sit-down meals at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, andwith so many now seeking the charity’s services, sit-down meals have not been possible in the cramped old building.

On Christmas morning, however, on James Street, a few hundred yards from Penny Dinners HQ, at the Croí na Laoí centre, the party was in full swing, with Santa supervising, and the High Hopes Choir providing carols.

Anyone who wanted a Christmas dinner was served, and everyone was given the dignity of a table at which to sit.

The day did not pass without incident, however, and at one point, Caitríona Twomey’s 18-month-old grandson Cruze McInerney, driving a new environmentally friendly electrical toy car, was stopped on Gravel Lane by Sergeant John Dwyer.

Noting that Cruze was driving without tax, insurance, NCT or a licence, Sgt Dwyer, who is the sergeant-in-charge of community policing on the northside, as a gesture of Christmas goodwill let him off with a caution.

Ms Twomey said the day would not have happened without the work of volunteers, the gardaí, the Defence Forces, the Organisation of National Ex-Servicepersons, Executive Cars, Dunnes, Tesco, the River Lee Hotel, Il Padrino, and everyone who helped in any way.