Two young Donegal ladies are grabbing the national limelight as ‘cover girls’ in the new 2022 Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) calendar.

Jennifer Doherty, from Buncrana, and her guide dog Sybil take pride of place on the cover of the new publication which was launched last week.

Both members of the Donegal IGDB branch, they are pictured posing in front of the now world-famous Fanad Lighthouse.

2022 Calendar Available from https://shop.guidedogs.ie/products/2022-calendar

Blind from birth, Jennifer has never let her ‘disability’ hold her back.

She obtained a degree from Queen’s University, Belfast, is an advocate for people with disabilities and lives independently in her own home in Buncrana.

From there, she runs JD Audio Transcription business, transcribing audio recordings into text for a wide variety of clients, including some well-known authors. 

Indeed Jennifer and Sybil aren’t the only representatives from the county on the calendar, other Donegal branch members and their dogs feature on the December page. Kevin Kelly with his guide dog Van who is a Donegal native feature in June.

2022 Calendar Available from https://shop.guidedogs.ie/products/2022-calendar

Titled ‘A Community Changing Lives’, it features the different types of stakeholders who help IGDB to provide guide dogs to those who are vision impaired and assistance dogs to the families of children with autism.

Priced at just €10, the Donegal branch is currently selling the calendars in McKenna’s Centra in Buncrana. However, it is hoped to be made available in a number of other shops around the county.

“Our 2022 calendar is a celebration of our Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind community and how each of our stakeholders is a vital cog in the success of our organisation,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.

You can also purchase one of the calendars on the Irish Guide Dogs for The Blind website, and the €12.40 price includes shipping costs!