A LYRE contractor proved to be the distraction many women needed during last week’s fuel protests when his charming good looks set social media alight.

Mark O’Connell, who works for his dad’s company, Con O’Connell Transport, joined many other truck drivers, contractors and farmers at the protests in Whitegate in East Cork and gave several interviews to televisions crews about the reasons why he was there.

However, it seemed his good looks and pleasant personality made many women forget about all their fuel woes with people wondering across social media as to who he is.

Speaking to The Southern Star, the 24-year-old – who by the way has a girlfriend – went back to work on Monday but said he was totally caught off guard by the reaction to his television appearances.

‘It’s been mental to be honest and on Monday I was on Cork’s Red FM, 96FM and 2FM and was then told that there had been over a million views of my interview on the KC Breakfast Show across their social media which is mad,’ said Mark.

He said it was ironic that people picked up on his good looks when he hadn’t slept properly in four days, his hair was unkept and he was still in the same clothes.

‘This was my first time going to a group protest and I would go again if the cost of fuel doesn’t come down. I only went and spoke to the media to speak specifically about the cost of fuel as others had been talking about different issues. When my phone started hopping afterwards I knew something was happening.’

Luckily for Mark, his girlfriend will keep him grounded with his new found fame and he’s getting a good slagging from his friends too about going viral.

He remains unfazed by his new found fame and reckons it will all die down but admitted that it has been good fun.