Sin Scéal Eile

What a life Kieran has led. She was born in America but always felt a pull towards Ireland (her parents of course were Irish too, and desperate to use the name ‘Kieran’ even though she was a girl).Kieran has lived a full life. Working for Sinn Fein during the peace process, a career in Human Rights with Amnesty International, a brief spell learning to weld and now a very fruitful career as a baker. She started making bagels simply because she missed them (Irish bagels do not compare to New York bagels apparently). From her modest wee home in Ringsend, she boils and bakes the absolute most delish bagels I’ve ever tasted and she sells them directly to the people who collect them from her front door. 

Like many people her age, Derbáil felt the pull of far away lands. She emigrated to the states when she was in her twenties, followed by a stint in Australia and then Canada. She’s recently returned home, with an Australian husband in tow, and feels like she’s back at square one. She’s finding her way in this almost new country which is far different from the one she left in her twenties. Working as an improv performer, storyteller, artist and educator, she acknowledges that financial sacrifices have to be made when choosing a creative career, and like far too many people, she and her husband are back living in her family home. Rx

The little charmer who sits on Emily’s knee for our whole chat is Cara. She’s Emily’s baby and is the cutest wee dote of all time. Emily loves taking her for walks as she finds people are friendlier and chattier with her when she has a dog. Emily has faced all types of human interactions from strangers on the street and let’s just say, people can be very cruel. At the age of 7, Emily was badly burned in a house fire in France. Unfortunately, that’s not the shocking story here. The level of aftercare she received while recovering in hospital is what really shocked me. Emily felt that she was never given proper counselling. She didn’t know how to process what was happening to her. She bottled everything up and never spoke about the fire with friends or strangers until she was well into her adult life. Emily is just like most single 40 year old women you’ll meet, deleting and then re-downloading the dating apps, horrified at some of the replies that men offer up. But what makes Emily different from most, is her resilience. She’s very pragmatic. She sees what happened to her as something that could have happened to anyone. She doesn’t dwell on it or wonder “why me?”. She’s enjoying the life she has, with Cara, the little legend. Rx

George is a director of films and TV. I’ve never been 100% sure what a director does, even though I’ve worked as a stills photographer on his productions. George kindly fills me in on all he does as well as what propelled him along his journey into comedy, including the almost mandatory move to London that a lot of Irish creatives make. Rx

Ged loves history, reading and Dexter (his dog). He’s an avid collector of signed books, and spends his time in his reading nook (akin to a garden shed) out his back garden. He’s a man who is full of quick wit and excellent banter and regale you with fantastic stories from around the area. Rx

Ah the joys of being 22 and just handing in your last college assignment. Amelhyne reflects on her 4 years of college where she solidified her passion as an audiophile. She now has some beautiful decisions to make, whether to go straight into a coveted role in radio or podcast producing, or continue her education with a masters. Either way, she’s utterly convinced that the medium of radio is well and truly thriving with Gen Z. Rx

We pulled our campervan up outside Catherine’s home in Kerry that she shares with her husband, Maurice. It’s the home where she raised her 4, now grown, children. She welcomes us with delicious vegan treats and a completely calming atmosphere. It’s the kind of home that you could sink into storytelling for hours, not watching the time tick by. Catherine prides herself on being a host and making her guests feel at ease, both in her home and at work where she runs “welcome home retreats”. She creates space for people to find their true selves through meditation, yoga, connecting to the environment around and blissful, luxurious comfort. Rx

Maurice is a natural born story teller. We sat at his kitchen table and he brought me on an incredible journey through his life. From his work as an artist and festival producer, to travelling around the world with three small kids, right up to being visited by a fox while eating a 9ct gold ball alone in the woods.I honestly won’t even attempt to paraphrase him, you’ll just have to listen!Rx