This article is from page 23 of the 2006-11-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
TRIGGS got her 15 minutes of fame in June of 2002. It was during that time that the golden retriever became the world’s most photographed dog as she walked beside her master, Roy Keane, himself recently returned from the World Cup in Japan.
Roy Keane’s long-standing commitment to the Irish Guidedogs for the Blind (IGDB) was continued on Monday when he featured in the launch of a new book alongside Ballyvaughan woman Emma StewartLiberty.
Written by Irish Examiner journalist, Caroline O’Doherty, Independence features 100 pen pictures of people involved in every aspect of the organisation.
From famous volunteers such as Keane, Sonia O’Sullivan and Ministers Mary Harney and Micheal Martin, to staff and volunteers such as Emma, Independence marks IGDB’s thirtieth anniversary with a unique insight into how the organisation works at every level.
After starting out breeding dogs for IGDB, Emma and her husband now help prepare young dogs through the process of dog walking.
“It is such a huge operation. There is so much more in it than most people would realise. The book has taken all aspects of guide dogs and written a small piece on each of these people,” she said.
“It is a huge thing. For the six weeks that we have the puppies, they are your life – end of story. You are with them 24/7.”
The dog-walking stage allows the dog to acclimatise to every possible situation that a seeing impaired or blind person might encounter. It helps to give the dog confidence before they start their intensive training in Cork.
“It’s a way of socialising the dogs, so that nothing surprises them,” continued Emma. “They need to be used to traffic, trains, public transport, everything. It is only when you start walking the dogs that you realise the breadth of what you have to do.”
Having lived in Ballyvaughan for the last nine years, Emma has adopted the tradition of naming one puppy in every litter after a place in Clare.
“In 2000, I got my puppy, who was a lovely dog called Quin, and he passed with flying colours. Each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet and all the dogs names begin with that letter,” said Emma. “Normally I like to name one pup of the litter after a place in Clare, like Quin and Quilty, and another after a place in Donegal.
“You are totally heartbroken when they go but all you have to see is one working guide dog in action and it is all worth it.”
Independence is the central part of the IGDB’s fundraising efforts this Christmas and is available to buy online at www.guidedogs.ie or in bookshops nationwide.