As Storm Desmond battered Northern parts of the UK and Ireland over the weekend the advice for many was to stay inside and avoid any unnecessary journeys.
However, Six One News’ Teresa Mannion refused to shy away from her journalistic responsibilities and braved the deluge to deliver a weather report that has now made her a social media sensation.
RTE 9 News live from Ballina tonight with Davy Ebbs and Paschal Brookes crew pic.twitter.com/DFv8KzK0Qk
— TERESA MANNION (@TeresaMannion) December 6, 2015
As flooding, travel chaos and power shortages hit massive areas of the country, the RTE reporter filed her dramatic report from Blackrock, in Salthill on Ireland’s Atlantic coast.
She's a force awakened… #teresamannion #teresa #meteireann #stormdesmond pic.twitter.com/1zJut9sKqT
— Saint Pheotus (@SaintPheotus) December 7, 2015
As Teresa gets increasingly pummelled by the high winds she says:
I cannot repeat the advice often enough from the gardai. Don’t make unnecessary journeys, don’t take risks on treacherous roads. And don’t swim in the sea. Incredibly people have been spotted in the water here in Blackrock in Salthill today and yesterday.
Meanwhile on #rtenews: #teresamannion reports from the west. pic.twitter.com/njNzlVib1F
— Pauline Murphy (@RealPMurphy) December 7, 2015
As ever, the internet has commended Teresa’s steadfast approach to her report and within hours Twitter was awash with mock-ups and messages of support.
You know that #teresamannion is getting a hard time of it on @rte when even the mammy is texting about it pic.twitter.com/vPYHDVTTKA
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) December 5, 2015
Teresa’s new hero-status has now officially been confirmed with a remix of her report by Youtube user Super Ceili. Great effort Teresa, the news cannot report itself.
https://youtu.be/kGeoXG2V_kk