Mar 14, 2021Member-onlyThe Elevator in RomeI find our hotel quite easily, in plenty of time before I have to meet my father off the airport bus. It’s on a narrow street leading from the back of San Filippo Neri to Piazza Navona, busy with locals and tourists on foot and on scooters. Our pensione is…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
Dec 6, 2020Member-onlyA November Swim in the Irish SeaWe were putting out our bins, the neighbour and myself, and I asked her if she’s enjoying her daily swims in Dublin Bay. “Emma, it’s lovely these days”, she says. “the water’s 12 degrees!”. “Awww,” I reply, “I really will get in one of these days”. …Sea Swimming8 min readSea Swimming8 min read
Published in Creatures·Aug 16, 2020Member-onlyA Diary for Bella, our Lockdown DogLive in the moment, that’s what you do. You could teach us all a lesson. — April 14th 2020 Dear Bella, So it’s taken a global pandemic for me to finally adopt a dog! I saw a photo of you today, Bella, and I think you’re gorgeous. No pressure, but you looked adorable in the photo sent by Mary at the rescue group. You’re a lurcher, about a year…Anecdotes13 min readAnecdotes13 min read
Mar 6, 2020Member-onlyHappy Families?In an arts and craft shop in Dublin, I spot a pack of Happy Families. It was one of our favourite games when the kids were small, but we either lost our pack during one of our many moves or it’s still in a box in my father’s attic. I…Family4 min readFamily4 min read
Feb 9, 2020Member-onlyCourgettiI laughed when I noticed the name on this packet I had picked up in Tesco’s Supermarket. …Language3 min readLanguage3 min read
Sep 12, 2019Member-onlyJack Daniels on 9/11The first time I ever drank Jack Daniels whiskey was also my last. 18 years ago today in Brooklyn, New York, I found myself drinking it just a couple of hours after the World Trade Center had been attacked and destroyed, just a few miles away. Ian and I had…September 115 min readSeptember 115 min read
Apr 19, 2019Member-onlyGood Friday in Toronto ca 2005I took these photos in Toronto around 2005, put them in an envelope and found them again a couple of months ago. They show the Good Friday procession in the city’s Little Italy district. With lots of shots of the marching band and the women and the crowds. But, alas…Good Friday4 min readGood Friday4 min read
Feb 24, 2019Member-onlyAn Irish Mamma abroadDuring my 20-odd years of living abroad, I became a mother. I’ve been back in Ireland now for a while. Yet still I stop and look around me when I hear a child shout “Mummy”. I forget that in Ireland that’s what kids calls their mothers. Up until recently, I…Family6 min readFamily6 min read
Published in Photo Dojo·Dec 16, 2018Member-onlyA snapshot of a snapshot in timeI was searching for a photo to accompany a piece I wrote last week about the Tooth Fairy and her place in our little family history. I had to really think about this — no-one has yet, as far as I know, photographed her (or him or it). …Children3 min readChildren3 min read
Dec 10, 2018Member-onlyThe tooth fairy is dead. Long live the tooth fairy.It’s the end of an era. The tooth fairy is no more. The family myth was foiled yesterday morning by the youngest in the family. An upper tooth had fallen out at school and even though it was lost on the way home, she went ahead and left a book…Parenting6 min readParenting6 min read
