Over €1,200 raised at event for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

A QUIZ night held in aid of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind proved to be a huge success, with 100 quizzers filling St Jude’s GAA clubhouse and raising over €1,200, reports Hayden Moore.

Puppy raiser Laura Murphy threw the quiz last Friday night to raise much needed funds for the charity which enables people who are vision impaired to achieve greater independence.

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB), a national charity, also provides assistance dogs to families of autistic children.

With around 400 guide and assistance dog clients in Ireland, all of the services are free of charge and it costs around €5m to run the organisation each year. According to the IGDB, 85 percent of its income is through voluntary donations and fundraising.

There is a process when it comes to getting a dog ready for work. For the most part, the IGDB primarily use labradors and retrievers due to their build and temperament.

Firstly, there is breeders and at eight-weeks-old they are taken on by puppy raisers, like Templeogue resident Laura Dunne, Christine Murtagh and Jayne Gaffney.

Laura has raised five dogs, and currently is raising Wren, who is seven-months. When Wren hits her first birthday, she will take the next step in the journey to becoming a guide dog.

Wren will head off to puppy college, studying and training, before going into the working world.

Last Friday, Tina Lowe brought her guide dog Forrest to the quiz night and she spoke about the impact that it has had on her life.

There was also a massive raffle which took place, with local businesses and individuals donating some 40 prizes.

18 teams consisting of 100 people battled it out for the accolade of quiz champions, and had great fun in the process.

Speaking to The Echo after the quiz, Laura Dunne was overjoyed with the success of it all.

“It was really a great night with a fantastic turnout and there was great fun had by all who were in attendance,” Laura said.