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Claire Byrne has had an eventful year. As one of the “early adopters” Covid-19 (diagnosed on March 16), she admits that she experiences symptoms she has never had before, including “brain fog.”
“I didn’t feel sick enough not to be broadcasting,” Byrne recalls, speaking with Róisín Ingle on The Irish Times Big Night In women’s podcast on Saturday.
“I was walking and it felt good, I think I have that work ethic, wherever it comes from. I was able to take care of my children and educate them at home, although that’s another story, but I definitely felt good enough to pass on ”.
However, “it was not a pleasant experience and I would not like to repeat it,” he added.
“When I listen to people who have been diagnosed positive, I feel very sorry for them, because there is the initial illness, which is probably about two weeks. But then there are all the other things that come after. . .
“I still have allergies. . . Antihistamines are my best friend. I keep them in the front seat of my car because I can’t broadcast when I’m stuck. That was never there before. “
And sometimes, he jokes, it gets “brain fog”. “But really, it’s probably just exhaustion or, you know, not doing your homework or whatever.”
Byrne soon moved from his “Covid shed” in his Dublin home garden to RTÉ Radio 1’s flagship show Today, replacing Sean O’Rourke. Byrne’s first interview was with Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
“That was good in a way, as it took the pressure off a bit,” Byrne recalled. “I had something that I could fully focus on. I mean, it’s a monster show, it’s huge. It’s the most fun show I’ve ever done and I love it, but it’s hard work. Sometimes I walk by the studio at RTÉ at ten to ten, and I have nine reports that I hope I have read. I thought I would go on August 24th and nothing would happen, well we haven’t had a quiet week since then.
“I’m just a nosy person,” Byrne reasons, referring to his love of reporting. “People come to work with me and say, ‘Oh, you know the gossip.’ I love being the first person to tell people news. I’ve always been like this “.
In the hour-long conversation, Byrne talked about her journey into journalism, which began when she was young and growing up in Laois, when she stayed up late to watch Today Tonight as a gift.
“When I was a child, I tried to stay up until after 9:30,” she laughs. “All you had to do was snuggle and be very, very quiet, and you’d get away with it.
A teacher, Mary Holden, encouraged her to write to the newspapers with her discussion topics, including The Irish Times.
“I’m sure the Tribune was like, ‘Why is this kid writing to us about the famines in Ethiopia? But Mary was trying to get an insect to bite me, just looking at her name in print and knowing that’s possible.”
After a stint at UCD, Byrne decided that Jersey was the place for her. “I told my parents that I had a return ticket and that I had saved a lot of money, but I had a one-way ticket and £ 100. Imagine! I don’t know what would happen if my daughter tried that, but I’d say my mother didn’t believe me anymore, all the lies I told her. We had no work, no contacts, nothing ”.
However, within a few years, Byrne was working at BBC Jersey. Finally, he came home to work at TV3, then he was one year old.
“I’ll be honest with you, we were the bright girls and I loved the glamor,” reflects Byrne. “She blow-dried her hair, did her makeup, and they made sure you had nice clothes. I loved.”
Over time, Byrne fell less in love with the lack of privacy that comes with being one of TV3’s “bright girls.”
“I think I was incredibly naive, but I would go [to journalists], ‘Oh, do you want to know the whole story of my life? There you go ‘. I soon realized that it should have been a bit more nuanced in my opinion there.
“[My first marriage ending] it was the first time that something went wrong in my life when I was on a public stage, “he added. “There was a lot of information about me about the place. And whose fault was it? Mine.”
Speaking about feminism, Byrne later mentions that she and her daughter Jane had been shopping for clothes earlier that day. “She looked at a garment and I said, ‘I think that’s what kids wear,’ and she said ‘Anyone can wear anything,’ and I said, ‘Yep! I’ve done this the right way. ‘
The Big Night In, sponsored by Green & Blacks, is a series of six live events organized by Róisín Ingle in conversation with “inspiring and entertaining women”. They take place on Saturday nights from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. every fortnight until December 12.
The next event, on November 28, is with former state pathologist Marie Cassidy. A single ticket for all events costs € 50, or the special price of € 25 for Irish Times digital subscribers. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit irishtimes.com/big-night-in.
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