'A sacrifice we're willing to make': Cork workers answer the call over Christmas

While working across the Christmas period can seem like a daunting task, several Corkonians have said they will be making the most of their days as they face into another year on call.

Although many people are beginning to hunker down and enjoy the festive season, with plans to celebrate with family and friends, a number of people across the city and county will be heading into work — just like on any other day of the year.

This is the nature of volunteer work, emergency healthcare, and hospitality.

The Echo spoke to three people who will be swapping their turkey dinner for team work this Christmas.

Deputy general manager at Cork’s Metropole Hotel Alzbeta Belkova said that although the job can be “challenging” she is happy to be returning to her post for the second year in a row.

“Christmas was always a special time of year for me, ever since I was a little girl,” she said.

“Bringing joy to people, it’s a nice thing, creating those special memories for our guests — it’s an important part of my job.

“Although we are missing special time with our loved ones, we know we will get to come back to them at the end of the day.

“It’s different at Christmas time; there’s more of a personal touch —we get to spend more time with our guests, and some of them are returning from one Christmas to the next, so it’s nice to see them [too].

“I will be working nine hours both days, and my main responsibility will be overseeing everything, making sure everything is running correctly.

“I think everyone has the Christmas spirit in the hotel at the moment,” she added.

“I’ve worked in hospitality for the last 12 years. It’s something that you will not find anywhere else, the chance to meet so many different people and experience so many different cultures and traditions — it’s just amazing.”

Ms Belkova, a Slovakian native, moved to Cork three years ago and says that she and her partner “fell in love” with the city while they were visiting her sister.

Although she is now a self-proclaimed Leesider, this won’t stop her from partaking in some of her home country’s traditions while celebrating Christmas in Ireland.

“Where I come from, traditionally, December 24 is more important than December 25, so when I finish up on Christmas Eve my partner and my sister will be waiting for me with Christmas dinner,” she said.

“We start our day by fasting until about six or seven o’clock. I will probably fast this year too. I think the only thing I won’t be able to resist is a cup of coffee throughout the day.”

Dara Gannon, who is a volunteer crew member and navigator with the RNLI in Courtmacsherry, said that while he is hopeful of not getting a call on Christmas Day, volunteering at Christmas is the same as volunteering at any time of the year.

“When the pager goes off, irrespective of the time of day or year, everyone turns up,” he said.

“There’s not really a rota for volunteering. You always have the pager on you, and if you do get a shout, you go.

“It can go off at any time; you never really know what’s going on out there — it could be something major, or it could be something minor.

“There’ll be less marine traffic and commercial fishermen out on Christmas Day, but if there’s bad weather, there’s often a big surf, so that can bring people out wind and kite surfing, and there’s the tradition of the Christmas swim. Usually it’s fine, but people obviously do take chances and sometimes end up in trouble.”

Having been a volunteer for the organisation since 2007, Mr Gannon said he can’t recall any Christmas where he has been called out, but he did say that working for the RNLI is a family affair, as he is joined by his brother Mark as coxswain, and is hoping to see his son join the crew too in 2025.

“There’s a great tradition of volunteering here — working for the RNLI is a part of the fabric of society in Courtmacsherry,” he said.

“It’s a very proud tradition in the village. It is a bit of a sacrifice, not just for you but for your family, especially in terms of Christmas or other occasions that you might have to miss, but when you sign up to volunteer, you understand the sacrifice you’re willing to make.”

Specialist registrar in emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital (CUH), Seán Underwood said that while most people would rather be at home, he is looking forward to spreading a little festive cheer to the children who will be spending Christmas at CUH.

“I’ll be working seven night shifts in the emergency department from the 23rd onwards,” he said.

“The show keeps going; with the nature of emergency medicine, it wouldn’t be uncommon to have a few Christmases under your belt.

“It’s got its highs and lows. While it can be challenging, it’s a rewarding place to be.

“I’m fortunate enough to have a bit of my family with me — my fiancee Amy is also an emergency doctor, so it is special to share that work with her on a day like Christmas.

“The emergency department team does feel like a second family,” he said.

“We’ve built a close bond over the years, and what a lot of us have taken to doing is having a follow-up Christmas.

“We have a bit of a ritual that at the end of the week of night [shifts], we’ll all leave together and share in some festivities of our own.

“It won’t be a surprise to many that it’s a particularly busy time of year. There are certain injury mechanisms that are more common at Christmas time too, compared to others. You have Christmas party mishaps, rolled ankles, some fisticuffs, and there’s also a reasonable amount of mental health issues, so we see a bit of everything.”

Mr Underwood said that one of the best parts of working in the emergency department at Christmas is “seeing the excitement in the children”.

“We always say we’re making sure to check in with Santa on Christmas Eve, to let him know which kids will be here, so he can adjust his list, and make sure everyone gets their presents,” he said.

“The running joke this year is that we’ve made it easier for Santa by building him a helipad, so he won’t need to land in the GAA pitch any more.”