FOR some children the daily trip to school can be something of a chore but for 12 years old Anna Moran Dunne it is an adventure on the high seas.

Anna, who is deaf, makes the daily nine miles commute over seas to Tory Island ever day from Magheraroarty to attend school on the island. Accompanied by his mother, Laoise, the pair set off every morning from the pier on the mainland and return to their home in Falcarragh in the evening.

"We've been doing this since Easter and Anna loves the school. The principal and staff have been fantastic. The school numbers are lower on the island and I sit in on the class and sign language for Anna," Laoise told the Donegal News.

"Some people might think it is a bit strange but we love it. Anna is getting on great at the school. She loves computers and woodwork," she added.

The ferry operator is also doing their bit to assist the pair by allowing them to travel at a reduced rate.

'Everybody has been so kind to us. Anna was in school in Dublin before we moved to Falcarragh. Some of her teachers in Dublin are learning to sign and she may return there but for the meantime she is loving every minute of her new surroundings and the trip every day is great," Laoise explained.

School Principal, Mary Claire McMahon said they were delighted to have Anna at the school.

"It is not a road we have gone down before and we don't have much experience of teaching a child who is deaf but Anna is settling in very well. They chose Tory because of the small numbers here," she said.

"Her mother is a teacher and that is a great help to us all. They have moved to Falcarragh from Dublin recently and they've found it difficult to get somewhere to stay so they're commuting by ferry every day for the meantime," Mary added.

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