‘There’s nothing normal about Antarctica’ – how an Irish solo backpacker reached her seventh continent

Neither a pandemic nor a Purple Monster could stop this solo Irish backpacker from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica

Dearbhaile Ní Dhubhghaill takes in the view in Antarctica. Pictures: Dearbhaile Ní Dhubhghaill

Dearbhaile Ní Dhubhghaill

‘Everyone’s been asking about the weather,” she said to the waiting crowd. “Unfortunately...”

She was Sara, expedition leader of M/V Hondius, a specially built Dutch cruise ship that tours the polar regions — in normal times, at least, if you remember those. The crowd – 163 excited and nervous passengers – gathered on deck five, waiting with bated breath to hear the plan for the next 10 days.