Bob Kelly meets Maria Lynch from Chile at her new home in Clontarf, where he chats to her about her love affair with Ireland. Maria first came to Ireland, because she was a huge fan of U2 and wanted to visit their hometown. However, while here she had a fateful encounter on the streets of Dublin. While looking for directions to Ireland’s oldest pub she met the man of her dreams. Ten years on Maria and her Irish husband Brian are still going strong and Maria has very much settled here. Her younger sister is also in Ireland, which has helped Maria feel at home in Dublin.
When Maria worked in Chile she was a high powered marketing executive, but decided to completely change course. She left the corporate world and now is a life coach. Maria herself embraces life to the full and has really got involved in local issues and organisations that matter to her.
Bob travels back to Chile with a message for Maria’s mother, who lives an hour’s drive from the capital, Santiago. The message is very special as Maria has not been home to Chile since the death of her father. She sends her family a message from a place in Clontarf that has special significance for her, as it was the place she came to when her father passed away. Bob Is treated to the very best of Chilean hospitality, including wine, a specially made cake and some traditional dancing.