Liberties girl wins reality show

Elena Thompson

Local Liberties girl Elena Thomson has emerged victorious from RTE’s reality show ICA Bootcamp.

Elena, 26, was a professional Irish dancer for 16 years. She won three All Ireland championships. She describes herself as a shopaholic, but will surely have more self-sufficient hobbies thanks to her new ICA title.

The three part show aired on RTE 1 in January and saw 12 spoilt and domestically challenged young Dublin women being sent to the Irish Countrywoman’s Association HQ, An Grianán in Termonfeckin, Co. Louth.

Once at the ICA base they learnt domestic skills and competed at various old fashioned skills including baking and hat making. They were under the tutelage of three hardened domestic goddesses.

The 12 young women competed at country tasks from plucking a chicken and skinning a rabbit to budgeting.

For their part, the mentors were helpful and kind throughout. In the final episode the girls competed to become the ICA Bootcamp Recruit 2011. Elena showed the grit and capability the mentors were looking for.

By David Hogan