[ad_1]
A pensioner who made international headlines when battling muggers at a gambling shop in Cork City has been scrapped today.
Mourners who engaged in social estrangement marked the route as the hearse containing Denis O’Connor’s remains passed by his son’s pub to go to his native Kiskeam for his funeral.
In 2018, the 83-year-old great-grandfather rushed to help staff and confronted three gunmen trying to rob a sportsbook.
Father of five, Denis O’Connor, who lived in Glanmire in Co Cork, was at Bar One Racing in the area on September 15, 2018 at 6 p.m., when three men in their teens or 20s came in armed with hammers and a shotgun demanding money from the safe.
Two men, who were wearing balaclavas, jumped on the counter and attacked the manager. A third man carrying what appeared to be a shotgun picked up the customers.
Mr. O’Connor, who regularly trained in a Cork gym and walked and swam several times a week, immediately went to the aid of the manager, Tim Murphy.
He approached one of the men and the assailants left empty-handed.
In an interview at the time, he said he didn’t think twice about helping the manager.
“I just didn’t think about what I was doing. Sometimes you can sit down and do nothing or you can face people like these and that’s what I did,” he said.
Murphy said the robbery, which was captured on CCTV footage, was quite shocking. He said the young men, who were yelling and hitting his hammers, ignored the shots and demanded that he open the safe.
He described the situation as “intimidating”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Murphy gave radio and print interviews where he said he was extremely grateful for Mr. O’Connor’s actions.
“He was being threatened by the two boys with the hammers. Denis approached one of them and I thought “I will have to face this guy too”.
“I tried to grab the hammer. It was a total blur. They totally backed off. I remember Denis just screaming: ‘You are cowards. You are total cowards. “
Denis is a total hero. When I saw him taking one of them, he completely inspired me. He is very fit.
Mr. O’Connor, formerly from Kiskeam and London, is survived by his wife Teresa and their children Mary, John, Elaine Katrina and Clare. He will be buried in Kiskeam after a 2pm funeral mass at the local church.
[ad_2]