Farmers and the local community in Clonoulty Rossmore, Co Tipperary, have supported a bereaving family by clearing heavy snow so that a grandmother’s funeral could go ahead.

Bridie Hammersley passed away last Wednesday and her funeral was due to take place in the Tipperary village on Sunday, but heavy snow and ice made it uncertain that the service would take place.

However, local residents responded to a call for assistance with around eight tractors and numerous people with shovels coming to clear the roads to and around the church.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Bridie’s grandson Timmy Hammersley said this work allowed them to give their grandmother “the send-off she deserved”.

“We were really concerned actually: ‘Can we go ahead with the funeral, is it actually safe to go ahead with it?’ That was obviously a very stressful thing for us.”

“The work, I have to say, that went on between 8.30am and 10.30am was unbelievable really.”

Coming together

Hammersley said that the act of good will brought the Tipperary village together and made the roads “cleaner than they ever were before”.

“[Bridie] was a woman who never caused any bother really, never caused any hassle herself, but the weather definitely caused hassle for her in her last days.

“People come together during a challenging time and our family was on the receiving end of that over the weekend. I just want to thank and acknowledge the people who came and gave their time.”