Hankie Curran’s extraordinary fermented herring challenge raises £1200 for Dementia NI
A few of months ago, Henry ‘Hankie’ Curran from Downpatrick took on a very daring challenge.
If you were raised in the hinterlands of Scandanavia where they have these ‘parties’ eating the fish, fermented herring, you might just think nothing of it, but gobbling down a whole tin of ‘Surstromming’ in Norn Iron is just something else. Not the everyday experience!
Firstly, it stank to the high heavens and the challenge was conducted in the car park well away from the bar area in case it induced a mass bout of hysterical nausea.
The tin was relatively small, but certainly high impact. Hankie wasted no time and scoffed the first herring fillet. After a second he says he could “feel my ribs getting ready to explode.
Secondly, Hankie summed it up: “It really was a terrible experience eating something that the cat would turn its nose up at. It definitely was absolutely humming. And my stomach was definitely not having it. But I got the tin down with difficulty (for a while!) because it was for a great cause, Dementia NI.
“We have had family members who suffered from this so it was quite a memorable event but an effective way to raise some money to support this very worthy local charity.
“It was a tough challenge, but I wasn’t going to give in. It was the least I could do for our family members who have and have had dementia.
“So on behalf of myself and The Mirabelle Bar and all the customers who supported me in this challenge and people outside the bar I’d like thank them. The challenge lasted a few minutes but was really good fun for everyone watching – except me as I just wanted to be sick.
“Dementia NI is a local charity which supports sufferers and their families and needs all the help it can get. Every penny helps.”
Hankie and his daughter Morgan Rose presented the cheque to Brian Patterson, a fund-raising volunteer for Dementia NI.
So, the big question is: what is Hankie’s next big challenge ????
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