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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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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 next week.
The documentary meets some of the many people who have taken up the sport in recent years, including three from Donegal.
Debroah Bonner from Donegal Town founded the Donegal Dragons club. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40, she found solace in dragon boat racing and, as there was no club in Donegal at the time, she would travel to Dublin every two weeks to train with Dublin's Plurabelle Paddlers.
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It was a four-and-a-half hour journey by bus, so a nine-hour round trip just so that she could train, all while battling the nausea that came with chemo on the bus on the way up. Eventually, she was able to set up a Donegal club, which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Síle Nic Suibhne from Gaoth Dobhair has been living in Sligo for many years. She speaks in the documentary about the impact dragon boat racing had on her life. Síle joined Sligo club Medb’s Dragon Warriors and shares about how it helped her to rebuild both physical and emotional strength after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
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Cathal Mac Suibhne who hails from Árainn Mhór and has been living in Donegal Town also features in the documentary, and describes how he volunteers his time with the Donegal Dragons, helping to launch the boats into the water, and monitoring them on the water from a health and safety perspective.
Dragon Hearts is on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Monday, April 21, at 6.30pm.
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