Ellen Glynn reunited with family after Galway rescue

Safe Home, and on dry land, Ellen Glynn from Knocknacarra, Galway smiling to the cameras at her press meeting outside her home. Picture: Hany Marzouk

The cousins who were rescued in Galway Bay after surviving the night on their paddleboards in a storm spent an hour together at the weekend and chatted about everything except reliving their dramatic brush with death.

Ellen Glynn, 17, and her 23-year old cousin Sara Feeney finally got to meet up on Saturday night after the teenager was discharged from University College Hospital.

Now the pair, who live around the corner from each other, are anxious to get their lives back to some semblance of normality after surviving 15 hours at sea and drifting almost 20 miles before being found by a fisherman and his son.

For Sara, a return to normality might be going back to her summer job after completing her degree in Psychology in NUI Galway a few months ago, while Ellen will have no problem with coming up with material for the standard ‘How I spent my summer holidays’ essay when she returns to Coláiste Iognáid in a few weeks.

“I think I will have plenty to write about on that,” said Ellen as she enjoyed her first full day back at the family home in Binn Bhán in Knocknacarra.

Her mum Deirdre remarked that when classes were suspended in March with the outbreak of Covid-19 she feared that her eldest daughter might struggle to say how she had spent Transition Year in school.

“I don’t think she or any of us will forget the year now! It’s still sinking in. Sara and herself are two great young people, really resilient and strong and they will move on from this. I think everyone realises how lucky we are,” said Deirdre.

Jonny and Deirdre Glynn from Knocknacarra, Galway celebrating the safe return of their daughter Ellen after she was missing in the sea for 15 hours in Galway bay with her cousin Sara Feeney. Picture: Hany Marzouk

Her niece Sara was only detained in hospital for a few hours on Thursday evening after being flown by Coast Guard helicopter from Inis Oírr after they were plucked from the water by fisherman Patrick Oliver, 38 and his 18-year old son Morgan, who had sailed from the docks in Galway and correctly worked out the location of the pair after analysing wind and tidal information.

Ellen’s dad Johnny, Galway United’s hero in the 1991 FAI Cup win, met the Olivers for the first time on Friday evening — they live within a mile of each other in Knocknacarra — to thank them for saving the cousins and the families will meet up in due course for a proper chat.

“I don’t know what I’m going to say to them because I can’t even put it into words how grateful we are to them,” said Ellen.

Let it all sink in

And then, speaking as Gaeilge, she paid particular tribute to the people of Connemara and the Aran Islands who came out in their droves to search for them.

“But we are so grateful to everyone, the people who went out in boats, in the air, on the shore in Connemara, Galway, Clare and the islands. To all those who prayed for us and lit candles and to anybody else who helped, we are so grateful.

It’s only now we are beginning to realise how much people did. Bit by bit Sara and I are finding it out. It’s hard to let it all sink in but we are just so grateful and we want to thank people.

“But it’s good to be home. It’s still a big shock and it’s starting to sink in. I spoke to Sara on Saturday evening, she’s good, she’s in a lot of shock as well.” They chatted about everything except their ordeal, which has been dubbed ‘The Miracle of Galway Bay.” “Not really, not yet. we’re not ready for that yet,” she said when asked if they had chatted about their brush with death.

They spent a chunk of the night at sea singing Taylor Swift songs to pass the time and keep them alert and the American singer got another spin when Ellen was discharged from hospital on Saturday evening.

“We listened to her on the way home in the car. It’s good to be home,” added Ellen.

Her 14-year old sister Hannah, who often goes paddleboarding with the two cousins, was delighted to have Ellen home.

“We’re just relieved, we thought that she wasn’t going to be back. We thought that her and Sara weren’t going to be back, but it’s great that they are.” 

And younger sisters Alice, 12, and Clara, 9 were also thrilled to have their big sister home. 

“I’m relieved that they are back,” said Clara. “I think we will have plenty of treats!”.

The house has been full of grandparents and other relations and friends over the past few days and mum Deirdre is just looking forward to some normality at this stage.

“We might go for a walk or something. But we will be keeping away from water! We have enough of that for now.

“But God, we know how lucky we are and we are all too aware that this sort of drama doesn’t end well for a lot of families. 

"Those families have been in our thoughts a lot in the past few days,” said Deirdre.