Galway

<h3>Global pop star Taylor Swift has sent two Galway girls a letter and art piece after hearing of their ordeal.</h3>
Cousins Ellen Glynn and Sara Feeney were paddleboarding off the coast of Furbo Beach last August when a sudden change in wind direction blew them out to sea. They drifted in Galway Bay for fifteen hours, clinging to their paddleboards which they had tied together, and trying to attract the attention of nearby boats and helicopters overhead.
The girls, who were 17 and 23 at the time, remained calm and collected as darkness, rain, and wind tested their resolve. About 3km south of Inis Oirr, they came across a buoy attached to a lobster pot. The pair tied their boards to the buoy and took turns sleeping while they awaited rescue.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In an RTE Documentary on One podcast that aired last Thursday, titled Miracle in Galway Bay, Ellen admitted that she and Sara sang Taylor Swift songs to distract themselves from their predicament.
Sometime before being recovered by Claddagh fisherman Patrick and Morgan Oliver, the girls sang Swift's 2020 hit Exile to stay alert.&nbsp;
Taylor Swift has since gifted the girls a maritime-themed art piece after learning of their story. The cousins were also humbled to receive a letter from the star who said she was moved by what they had gone through.
It has been just under a year since the girls went missing off the South Galway coast; luckily, both cousins were found before hypothermia could take hold and have made a full recovery in the months since.&nbsp;
References: <a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taylor-swift-sends-letter-and-painting-to-miracle-galway-paddleboarderswho-sang-her-songs-while-drifting-in-the-sea-for-15-hours-40708938.html" target="_self">Irish Independent</a>, <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/it-was-pitch-black-rescued-teenager-describes-night-afloat-with-her-cousin-in-galway-bay-1.4330185" target="_self">Irish Times</a>.&nbsp;

Galway girls rescued from bay receive letter from Taylor Swift

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