You’ve heard about it, you’ve seen it, but we’ve got the exclusive inside scoop on the Mayo man who recently went viral after being videoed filling up petrol in a plastic bag.
Billions of internet videos are viewed each day. It is rare, however, that videos hit viral status, accruing millions of views in just a matter of days. For this Mayo man, however, that was what happened.
In this Meanwhile in Ireland exclusive, we reveal the story behind the man filling up petrol in a bag in the three million+ views video on Facebook.
The looming budget
Of course, the approach of the annual Irish Government Budget is one which most adults are aware of. Dictating future costs for health care and transport, social welfare benefits and housing, there’s a lot at stake when it comes to budget day.
And, while most of us eagerly await its announcement, others take matters into their own hands. This is where the story of the man filling up petrol in a bag in the three million+ Facebook-viewed video begins.
“The story behind this is I’m a bit of a hoarder… I knew the budget was coming in on Tuesday and was stocking up on petrol before the price increase came in,” the Mayo local – who would like to be referred to as Bart O’Donnacha – tells us.
The plan
Mr O’Donnacha goes on to explain how his plan unfolded, paving the way for him to become Ireland’s most recent internet sensation.
“On Sunday morning I knew it would be quiet, so I filled up the car [to go to get petrol], and when I went to the boot, I realised I had no drum ([as I had] filled several during the week), so [I] used a bag,” he explains.
“I couldn’t see properly with mask and glasses and then when I realised the bag was leaking I put it into the laundry basket (which I use for briquettes as it saves [the] mess)”.
Bart, as he is locally known, continues to give us a tip for future petrol hoarding: “there is no problem using bags for fuel (but always [use] a double bag for health and safety [reasons]) as long as they are strong black ones. I often do this when filling my lawnmower (cut the corner of the bag, and it acts like a funnel).”
The viral video
While many internet users have pushed back calling the video a fake – one staged for mere entertainment – we were interested to learn how the video came to be.
“A friend of mine had noticed me at the pump and was wondering why I had [a] laundry basket in the boot, so he put his phone camera on and ended up getting that footage,” explains Mr O’Donnacha.
And while the Mayo man can thank the local garage for his newfound internet fame, petrol stations are not his favourite place.
“I once put diesel into a friend’s car and damaged the engine; another time I drove off with the pump nozzle still in the fuel tank and damaged it badly,” he tells us.
All that aside, however, we’re delighted to have gotten to the bottom of the story of the Mayo man filling up petrol in a bag – Ireland’s most recent internet sensation – with an exclusive Meanwhile in Ireland interview.
