RTÉ have cracked September. The month that usually drags on, as summer ends and we get back into routine, is whizzing past thanks to our obsession with the goings on-in Slane Castle.
I’ll not lie: when the series started, I had to avoid socials and catch up later in the week.
As usual, at the start of September, I couldn’t keep my eyes open past 9 o’clock each night, despite the captivating conclave conflicts, the round-table detective theories and Siobhán MacSweeney’s one-liners and fabulous wardrobe. (Side note, I am delighted to see Sara O’Neill’s Irish myth-inspired silk creations showcased on a platform like this, it’s nothing more than her work deserves).
So far, Siobhán is the clear winner of this series, with Detective Oyin a close second.
The drama in the castle is being replicated in houses all over the country.
While some of us are delighted to be back in routine, some are bemoaning the house being quieter as the teenagers enter the next stage of life.
For me, it is a time of mixed emotions, and I see this in others. No-one will miss the cooking, washing and cleaning, especially when the washing machine decides to give up the ghost – which has happened in this house this week.
Parents will be sad to see the teenagers leave home, and worry about them as they take their next steps and become more independent, yet with that independence comes a new chapter for everyone.
That is not always a good thing either. With the kids out of the house, in the quiet, some couples are left looking at one another, asking ‘What now?’
I had the privilege of speaking at the senior prize-giving in St Patrick’s College, Dungannon last Friday. I floated home after that celebration – it was incredibly uplifting.
Over the past 20 years St Patrick’s College has nurtured newcomer students. Now the school is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual sanctuary for all.
I was humbled to be there and listen to the stories of some of the students who loved their time there and are moving on into the world of work and further education.
The story of a young man from Syria will stay with me.
Muhommad arrived in Dungannon with very little English, and got a C* in GCSE Maths, which is not enough to take the subject on to A-Level.
He pleaded with the teachers to believe him that he could excel at A-Level with the right support. He got there. A* in Maths secured and off he goes to university.
I don’t know what it was like for Muhommad over the last few years – I could only imagine the life he left behind, and the barriers and challenges to progress that faced him on the way to that A*.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as everyone cheered his success. The sense of everyone in the school being invested in each other was palpable.
And just like the tens of thousands of others who sat exams this year, off they go. Freedom lies ahead.
With that freedom comes responsibility. If you go out during the week, you have to get up the next day and go to college, work or both.
Choices multiply, as does life admin, and then there’s managing the finances.
The student loans arrived into the bank accounts just ahead of rag week. Loaded one minute, buying takeaway like it’s going out of fashion, then beans on toast for the rest of term.
What’s the 2025 equivalent of beans on toast or pasta and sauce for students I would guess that matcha and protein are included!
I spend this time of year looking back on how I spent these days in what was one of the happiest, yet scariest times of my life.
Going away to college tested how independent I was, but showed me that there’s a big, bad, beautiful world out there and made me more curious about it and what it had to offer.
That curiosity has stayed with me and gives me the energy I need to jump out of bed every day.
I ended my chat with the wise words of Maya Angelou. Follow this sentiment and you will stay on the correct path for you.
“Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”