Sin Scéal Eile

Naomhán is a dapper gent, sporting a brand new hat for this occasion. When I go to meet him down in Sandycove, he’s surrounded by friends of every generation, all having a great aul chat. He comes here every day for a swim. He’s been swimming all of his life, taking after his Mam who also swam every day right up until her 80s. Naomhán has led a full life, with children and grandchildren, moves to Wales and London and back again, but I feel he’s being quite modest when we talk about his career achievements. He’ll barely mention that he was the one responsible for bringing the gas pipeline to Dublin! He says he can hardly remember these things now, but I bet if we had a cup of tea and a cosy afternoon he’d tell me it all. Rx

Daragh was lucky enough to have a relationship with all of his four grandparents growing up and I think that could be the reason why he’s got such a mature head on his shoulders. At just 31, he seems to have life sussed. He’s grounded, rooted and sound. His poetry and writing is centred around the need for connection, representation and the human experience. Daragh is also the current “Cork Person of the Month”.Rx

Conor describes himself as “ordinary and normal”, and he is, and it’s so lovely. He has 3 kids which he dotes on. He has all the usual anxieties that I imagine most parents have. He works hard during the week so that he can provide nice things for his family. He keeps an allotment down the road which he tends to with his kids, harvesting pumpkins at Halloween and brussel sprouts at Christmas. Conor opted for the normal life, he went with all the options that felt naturally right, like marrying his childhood sweetheart and settling down with a family. He’s not one to take any of this for granted, he counts his blessings and knows from experience that life can be too short at times. He’s eager to make each day count. Rx

Ruth has been through the wars and out the other side. Just over 2 years ago she developed a neurological disorder which left her paralysed. A fatigue and pins and needles feeling that she put down to covid, rapidly turned into her worst nightmare. It took away her ability to walk, to use her arms and feed herself. She was completely reliant on help from her family and friends. She found herself in a hospital bed for months, not even able to turn the page of a book and read (which is what she loves most in life). Remarkably, Ruth has re-learned to do all the things that the disorder took from her, she likens it to a toddler, learning how to walk and so on. What’s more remarkable is that she’s also since published her first novel, Shorelines. A very unique story for a YA audience, a retelling of sorts of the Little Mermaid, one that will no doubt inspire and comfort a whole host of young readers and make them a little more accepting of each other and themselves. Rx

As we approached Imelda’s driveway, we ran into a bit of an issue. There was no way we were getting our very tall campervan under her very gorgeous, but very low hanging trees. I thought it to be a completely fitting entrance to a woodturner's home. Imelda isn’t just any woodturner, she is the Chair of The Irish Woodturners' Guild (which is the oldest woodturning association in the world).I hold my hands up and admit that I have no clue what woodturning is and Imelda graciously explains the practice to me in beautiful detail. What I take away from it is that if you love being creative, working with your hands, using machines that could take your eye out and the odd go of a chainsaw, you’ll love woodturning. Have a listen to our chat and find out how to get involved, I’m currently pricing up campervan sized lathes. Rx

Sinéad didn’t always know what she wanted to do in life. She studied and moved and kept her mind wide open to opportunities. Eventually she found something that really suited her, something her father also used to do. Sinéad is a tour guide with a twist. She brings tourists and locals around to sample the culinary delights of Waterford, and yes, that of course includes the famous blaa! Rx

I’m going to preface this by saying I love trains and I love miniature models of anything. Meeting Eugene in his garage was a dream. He has converted the whole space into both a workshop and a miniature version of Waterford train station as it appeared in the 80s. The whole thing is a wonder to behold. He has handmade so many little models, including the train carriages and engines, the buildings, the construction cranes, a graveyard, the tiny people and even a whole load of seagulls. If you look close enough, there’s even a tiny 80s version of himself and his son Trevor. Eugene can’t comprehend why I’ve chosen to come and chat with him. He doesn't often show his trains to people outside of the community. I think he may be underestimating the amazing job he’s done on them. Rx

We hit the road to Kilkenny this week to meet Mick, the mechanic. Out the back of his “home home” is where he works away, he only just started this business in January and the phone hasn’t stopped since. He has an engineering brain and a romantic heart. He tells me that his wife, whom he married just in October gone, persuaded him to come out of his comfort zone and do this project. He credits his wife Áine for a lot in his life. The two of them are mad about rally driving, even using their own rally cars for the wedding. It might be an expensive hobby, some may even consider it dangerous, but it’s the reason these two found each other and that’s worth every penny. Rx

What’s amazing about Sophia is her honesty but also her incredibly sharp sense of humour. She’s intelligent and strong, you need to be when you’re a female comedian. Together we eat snacks and talk about her upcoming show at the Edinburgh Fringe and setting a great example for her daughter. Rx