County Roscommon native to feature on RTÉ ‘Dragon Hearts’ documentary
Mairéad Ní Nuadháin, a native of Ballaghaderreen will feature on 'Dragon Hearts' whihc will be aired this evening, April 21st at 6.30 p.m. on RTÉ One.
A County Roscommon woman will feature on a new documentary on RTÉ One this evening, April 21st.
“Dragon Hearts,’ an inspiring and emotional documentary following members of Ireland’s dragon boat racing community, brought together not just by sport, but by their shared experience with cancer will air on at 6.30 p.m.. on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Featured on the programme will be Ballaghaderreen native Mairéad Ní Nuadháin.
Mairéad, who has been living in Dublin for many years, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She had been to see a consultant about a different matter when he said he wasn’t happy and sent her to a colleague for immediate tests.
Her club, the Plurabelle Paddles, first introduced the sport of dragon boat racing to Ireland in 2010. The sport traces its roots back over 2000 years ago to ancient China. “We’re a big club and we have members who have had more difficult treatments and we’ve had some members who’ve had bad outcomes. We stick together through that. It’s very difficult when someone you’ve loved, suddenly they’re not there,” Mairéad says.
She explains that, at the end of a session, sometimes the helm asks the paddlers to close their eyes and take a few moments of contemplation on the water before coming back to dry land. “Every one of us will be thinking the same thing — how lucky we are to be out there and thinking of someone we lost,” says Mairéad.
From Dublin to Donegal, Sligo to Cork, the documentary meets men and women who have turned adversity into strength, paddling not just for victory but for survival. Dragon Hearts captures their passion, pain, joy and resilience across a full season of training and racing. What sets these paddlers apart from other clubs is that many have been touched, directly or indirectly, by the dreaded Big C.
Mark O’Connor is one of the founding members of the Cork Dragon Boat Club, a rowing club with a difference. His words are echoed by hundreds of dragon boat club members all over Ireland; men and women who, week in week out, take to the lakes, rivers and sea to participate in a truly unique sport. Ordinary people brought together in the worst of circumstances, now bonded in competitive camaraderie by this unique sport, each share their stories.
