Southside teens earn guiding’s highest award

TWO Southside teenagers have reached the pinnacle of guiding after hiking 67km in the Burren, carrying all their camping and cooking equipment, clothes, food and water while surviving on just

?¬3.50 a day.

Eighteen-year-old Aisling O’Boyle, from Dundrum, and Lauren Manning (19), from Knocklyon, who are both members of Irish Girl Guides’ Senior Branch, also successfully completed eight projects and kept a log book of their experiences during the five-day Chief Commissioner’s Award.

“We had an amazing time doing the Chief’s, despite the challenges we faced such as illnesses, sore knees and blisters,

? said Aisling.

“We gave the award our all and managed to overcome the challenges as a team and continue on. We now understand the meaning of blood, sweat and tears.

?

Irish Girl Guides (IGG) organises the survival challenge for members aged 16 and over to test the skills they have learned through their involvement in guiding.

The young women, who competed with their friend Áine Foley (18) from Newbridge, said that taking part in the event was one of the best challenges they have ever undertaken.

“We accomplished so many things over the week, trekking 67 long kilometres, completing eight projects, facing fears and all whilst casting illnesses and injuries aside,

? said Lauren.

“We had a different campsite to go to each night including Inis Oírr, Lisdoonvarna, Caherconnell and Turlough and so we planned our route around those.

“We worked really well as a team and made it through the literal ups, downs, lefts and rights of our journey together.

“It wasn’t easy but we stuck it out and learnt, in the truest sense, that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

It was an amazing feeling when we received the award. I felt like I was standing on top of the world.

?

“Getting the Chief’s pin meant so much to us after all our hard work,

? added Aisling.

“We were delighted with ourselves for completing the award and, to be honest, I still can’t really believe we did it.

?

The route took the young adventurers to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin and Lisdoonvarna and even across on the ferry to Inis Ã?irr where the girls chose to speak as Gaeilge out of respect for the local people.

Their projects included designing a brochure of the area, visiting Doolin Caves, learning about the effect of recent storms on the Burren, talking to a local food producer and writing a song about their experiences during the challenge.

Gillian Finan, IGG Regional Development Officer and one of the event organisers, said:

“The Chief Commissioner’s Award is one of the toughest challenges a young woman in our association can undertake.

“This has always been one of my favourite guiding events and I believe it is a culmination of everything guiding has been preparing these young women for.

“All the organisers are so proud of them. They overcame injury, illness, rain, hills and aching muscles. This challenge will only serve them positively in the future.

?

Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members from age five, young leaders from age 15 and over and adult leaders from age 18 on. See www.irishgirlguides.ie for further information or tel: 01 6683898