'You always think that bungee jumping is something you can do in Australia or New Zealand, not in Ireland," says 25-year-old Claire Quinn, who, along with her two friends Eilish Joyce (25) and Roz O'Shaughnessy (26), is preparing to bungee-jump 275ft (83m) for charity.
The three women - who met while working at PR firm Hill & Knowlton, although Claire now works at services firm Deloitte - are all first-time bungee jumpers, and decided to take the plunge after they heard that it would benefit Debra Ireland, a charity that raises awareness and money for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a painful genetic skin disorder that affects one in 18,000 newborn babies in Ireland.
The three friends had to raise a minimum of €250, and were among 100 people who signed up for the charity jump, at George's Quay in Dublin last month.
"When the opportunity came up to do it, and for charity, we thought, 'Right, let's go for it'," says Claire.
The charity also organised a jump in Belfast, and both events raised a total of around €50,000 for EB research.
Waiting to set off for George's Quay, Claire, Eilish and Roz make light of the fact they are jumping in wind and rain. "Think of the thrills, girls!" Roz laughs. All three agree that bungee jumping is their most daring risk, although Eilish went sky-diving last year in Australia. "But that was different," she says. "I had a lovely Frenchman strapped to my back."
Walking to George's Quay in the rain, the women spot a large red crane with a crate.
"Is that it?" asks Eilish.
"Oh crap, it is!" says Roz.
Friends and family have gathered with umbrellas and coffee to watch them jump. "I don't think I'd fancy doing it," says Eilish's brother, Adrian, although he later decides to jump. "I think it takes a lot of courage, especially on a wet day."
First to jump is Eilish, and her waist and ankles are strapped up as Claire and Roz look anxiously on. As soon as she jumps, she screams and waves to her friends.
"Whoa, I'm shaking," she says afterwards. "You fall and dangle and then boom! You're going back up."
"Oh it's really brilliant," says Claire on landing, shaken but sporting a large grin.
When Roz lands safely, she unstraps herself and hugs her friends. "Even when I opened my eyes, I couldn't see," she says.
"The rush to your head, I wasn't expecting that."
www.debraireland.org
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