Published: Friday, 15th January, 2010 11:47am

Birr company continues family tradition by giving out free grit

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A Birr company has been continuing a family tradition this week by giving out free grit to local authorities and the members of the local community as the cold snap persisted on Monday.

Loughnane Concrete announced on Monday that it would supply free grit to Offaly County Council and North Tipperary Council as well as members of the community who wished to avail of the offer.

Seán Loughnane told the Offaly Independent he made the decision to give out free grit because the country was at a standstill and the weather forecast indicated the cold snap was to continue.

Mr Loughnane said he made the decision last Friday after a neighbour of his asked him what the best thing to throw on the footpath would be as his elderly mother was unable to get to the shed.

"This brought something out in me and I thought there must be a lot of people stuck in their homes afraid to go out, even to the shed," said Mr Loughnane. He said he decided on Friday that the company would give out the free grit and made the announcement on Monday when his workers returned to work.

Mr Loughnane was following a family tradition as his father, who founded the company 60 years ago, had also given out free gravel to people during the big freeze in the fifties.