Thinking inside the box: Leitrim man hangs out over Shannon

SOME PEOPLE will do anything to get a better view of the St Patrick’s Day parade.

Gerry McCormack from Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim, yesterday packed his fold-away chair, sleeping bag, a couple of books, mobile phone and water supply into a glass box which was promptly raised by crane 50 metres (150 feet) over the river Shannon in Carrick-on-Shannon, where it will stay – weather and Gerry’s determination permitting – until 2pm tomorrow.

“I’ll be 50 this year so I’m going to stay for 50 hours,” promised Drumshanbo’s answer to David Blaine, who will fast for the duration and who is undertaking the adventure to raise money for his third trip to Haiti with the Haven Build-It charity.

“I’m very proud of him – but I told him I want him down for Mother’s Day,” said Gerry’s mother Maura, who permitted herself a tear as the glass box was slowly hoisted and her eldest child headed skywards, gamely giving her the thumbs up as he went. The businessman, who runs Proglass Windscreens, didn’t actually make the glass cube himself, but he pointed out that for insurance reasons the only exit is on top of the box. “I’m about 5’ 10” and the box measures six feet wide and high, but I can stick my head out the hatch if I want,” he said.

Gerry has no worries about hunger, vertigo or boredom, and he brushed away queries about toilet requirements, pointing out that he is fasting. “This is easy when you see what it’s like in Haiti,” said Gerry, who wants to raise €5,000 for the house-building project there. “The only thing I am nervous about is raising enough money – and I’m also a bit worried about the wind.”

Gerry’s two sons, David (25) and Mark (24), were among the send-off party who gathered in the Moon River car park for lift-off at noon yesterday. “He is unbelievably organised. There is a solar panel on the box for charging batteries and he has a makeshift bed,” said David.