Blog

We have a looming ’austerity’ budget, a possible ‘Address to the Nation’ by our Taoiseach (which is clearly not to tell us that all is well), and apparently we are facing possible economic Armageddon with the demise of the Euro. Has anyone else had enough of this...

As I cruise effortlessly (yep, no effort required) towards the completion of my half century my mind has been exercised recently on what I have learned thus far and what I need to change for the coming decades. I am a very lucky girl (?) as my oldest friend lives...

NOON - 24th November - THANK YOU DAYThe winner of the Thank You Book is Alison Wells!Congratulations Alison... And HUGE THANK YOU to the Irish Hospice Foundation for the prize and for the wonderful concept of THANK YOU DAYJust for today I will not worry Just for today...

Winter lunchtime in a grey, dank and murky Dublin. The Concert Hall swallows us up, gathering us into the elegant auditorium. We settle ourselves into our seats, making nests of our heavy winter coats. The Symphony Orchestra filter out onto the stage. Men and women,...

This piece was featured on RTE Radio 1's Sunday Miscellany Programme last year. I will again be featuring on Sunday Miscellany this Sunday - 30th October - with a piece on Owls! Tune in after 9am news. Halloween, Oiche Samhain. In its original form ‘as Gaeilge’, the...

What do you think of when you think of the Queen of England? What is the image comes into your head? Her slightly bend frame? Her permanent rictus looking smile? Her classic wave? Or do you, like me, see her in her sensible shoes and clutching tightly onto her Royal...

This night exactly one year ago, I was preparing to take my courage in both hands and get the bus into town to attend a seminar which was aimed at promoting Women On Air. The bus wasn’t that scary in the end – in fact I think bus ceilings have gotten higher making...

Going to a reunion, after more than 25 years is a very strange experience. 7 years ago I went to my 25th year school reunion. Last week I went to a JWT staff reunion. I worked for the company from 1979 to 1985. Both experiences were similar as in both cases I was...

This is the text of my piece on Owls which featured on Sunday Miscellany on 30th October 2011. You can listen to the podcast here. I am first up just a minute or so in.Standing on a hill in deepest Wicklow, a north easterly wind whipping my hair into an unruly nest, I...

I am sure that everyone in the ‘writing world’ in this country knows Vanessa O Loughlin and her brilliant website Writing.ie. But one of Vanessa’s very best ideas ever is the ‘Great Writing Great Places’ series which is currently taking place in various venues in...