What’s your level of agreeability?
The level of my agreeability can vary significantly. I’m notably agreeable when it comes to advocating for more female leaders and trusting in the potential of our younger generation to positively improve their surroundings. However, my level of agreeability drops when dealing with discrimination, gaslighting, bouts of idleness or learned helplessness or people arguing that festivities of Christmas can’t commence in November.
Do you have a middle name and what’s your opinion on it?
Interestingly, my parents omitted to provide a middle name for me. They, on the other hand, chose to name my only sibling Gráinne. This has created ample confusion over the years. One particular uncle still addresses us as ‘Gráinne Áine, one of you’.
Where’s your favourite spot in Ireland?
For a connection with nature, I am particularly fond of Lough Muckno in Monaghan – the northern equivalency of Killarney or the Hill of Howth providing views of the Irish Sea. However, my everyday favourite place is wherever my daughter finally stops resisting sleep, with my arm snugly tucked under her neck.
Could you describe yourself in three words?
Resilient. Enduring. Weary.
When was the last time you were angry?
Ordinarily, I refrain from expressing anger, preferring to quickly transition it into a more manageable and productive emotion. HOWEVER… My patience has been pushed to the limit by Betty, our one-year-old Cavachon puppy, who has developed a penchant for gnawing on books, trampoline nets, laundry, footballs, shrubs, footwear, cushions, mats, and so forth. She has thus been given the nickname Betty the Destroyer.
Is there something you’ve lost that you’d like to retrieve?
I would love to reclaim my Irish football jersey from the period (1992-1994), adorned with ‘Staunton 11’, which I used to wear incessantly during my boyish years. Unfortunately, in a bout of fashion-consciousness, or perhaps due to my mother’s expertise in making elegant dresses, that jersey was removed from my closet.
Could you share your most vivid childhood memory?
Finishing runner-up in an elocution competition, organised by my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs Daly, is an enduring memory. I can still visualise those pink cue cards, filled with handwritten notes about Monaghan’s female football team and my argument on the equality of genders in sports. It was on that day I found my voice, and I’m forever in debt to my teacher who played a significant part in helping me discover it.
In your sibling hierarchy, what position do you occupy and what impact has it made on your personality?
I, a typical “hero child”, am the eldest among three. I utilised my seniority to guide, motivate, and sometimes test the patience of my siblings while exploring their fidelity. Nonetheless, it has gradually honed my skills to become a harmoniser and peacemaker, a figure who ensures understanding, foresees unexpected turning points, and harnesses a continuous “can do” spirit.
What are your anticipations for the time when you breathe your last breath?
The hope of becoming one with my Grandma McNally, a beacon of kindness and virtue whose benevolence I always strive to emulate. I pledged to perpetuate good in her memory by leaving a note in her casket on the day of her funeral. Whenever life overwhelms me, I envision her praying with a judicious pause after the priest, which always amused me silently during church services… my granny always got the final say.
When did you experience your happiest time?
Certainly, it’s today, tomorrow, and every day after. Life is not linear, it does not adhere to a Plan A life, so I strive each day to continue learning rather than pretending to know everything. I take charge of generating my own joy, with the upliftment that my joy subsequently brings the same feeling of love, safety, and happiness to my daughter, family, and friends. Embracing the present moment, or as Oasis aptly put it, “Be Here Now”!
Which actor do you think would portray your story if a film was to be made about your life?
There was this one peculiar instance when I was mistaken for actress Claire Danes while paying for a cinema ticket in Dublin. The kind gentleman at the ticket booth was insistent that he couldn’t possibly accept my payment. Guess we must share some distinct cheekbone similarities.
What’s that one major blunder you’ve made professionally or personally?
My career path has been a winding journey from teaching to journalism and unexpectedly into entrepreneurship. I’m taking life’s trials head-on and living my Plan B life (a nod to Sheryl Sandberg’s wise words) that came post-divorce. Rather than harbouring regrets, I concentrate on lessons learnt. After all, every challenge I’ve faced has endowed me with my beloved daughter and significant everyday privileges. I find myself profoundly grateful.
Do you have any habit particular to you?
I harbour an unyielding conviction that constant caffeination is the key to my momentum. Otherwise, I fear that halting might mean never regaining the momentum.