Speaking to RTÉ News, Ellen said that being home is "a big shock, everything is real now".
One of the rescued paddleboarders Ellen Glynn (17) has been reunited with her family, returning home for the first time since she was pulled from Galway bay with her cousin Sarah Feeney (23).
Found clinging to a lobster pot by local fisherman Patrick Oliver and his son Morgan, the girls spent 15 long hours in the water surviving freezing cold conditions, thunder, lightning and several hours in complete black. Explaining how they managed to
survive the night in the water, Ellen revealed that the pair tied their paddleboards to a buoy and took turns sleeping as they were so exhausted.
Now home with her family for the first time since the incident, Ellen joined her parents for a press conference with the media. Saying that it's good to be home, the 17-year-old said that it's obviously still a big shock. "Everything is real now but it's good to get to see everyone."
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Adding that they are just "so, so grateful", Ellen said they she couldn't put into words just how thankful they are to the Olivers.
President Higgins extended a message of friendship to both cousins yesterday, saying that he is "absolutely delighted that there was a happy outcome". He went on to say that he is "lost in admiration for the Oliver family" and looks forward to paying tribute to Patrick and Morgan Oliver when opportunity allows.
