Series 1, Episode 6
Evanne Ní Chuilinn takes some time out to sit in her back garden and reflect on some of the events and people that have had a big impact on her. She remembers her first encounter with the world of broadcasting when she went with her father to the pirate radio station where he worked.
” I thought that place was magical. I’d head off with my Dad to the ‘radio station’ and you had to climb up a ladder and get into the shed which was on top of a garage…it was falling apart, really. But it was a studio and it had a microphone, a control desk and everything…so I suppose my Dad encouraged me to go into broadcasting and journalism and to pursue that magic between the broadcaster and the audience at home.”
Evanne recounts how, as a young girl on holidays with her family in 1987, they had visited Enniskillen on the day before the bombing of the Remembrance Service there which killed 11 people.
“I can still remember that trip and seeing Enniskillen. But the very next day, that was the day of the terrible bomb in Enniskillen. And I can remember how scared I was that day, thinking we’d only been there the day before. And Mam was right. ‘ This is really dangerous.’
“It made me realise what my father went through growing up near the border. I was only seven or so and I remember saying to Dad “Why can’t they just make peace. What is the point?” I didn’t really understand it…it made absolutely no sense to my young mind. And, you know what? It still doesn’t.”
She also shares her childhood memories of what it was like when Ireland first qualified for the football World Cup:
“I suppose Italia ’90 was the first global competition that I can really remember. I was eight or nine at the time. And as everyone knows, the entire country was gripped by it. Everyone was in such a good mood. It makes me happy just thinking about it and I think it’s the same for everybody.”
Evanne talks about the fact that she’s adopted and how, at the age of nineteen, she met her birth mother who is from Tipperary. Having been brought up in the hurling stronghold of Kilkenny Evanne says:
“For everyone from Kilkenny, your whole identity is bound up with hurling – that’s just how it is. But I’m adopted and I met my birth mother, Mary, when I was 19. And I found out that I’m actually of Tipperary blood. And that bothered me at first because there is so much competition between Kilkenny and its neighbouring counties especially-Wexford, Tipperary, Waterford. I’m all right about it now but in the beginning, to put it nicely, there was a lot of banter with Mary and my brother and sisters in Tipperary too.”
And that importance of family is key to Evanne when she’s looking back and also as she looks forward to the future:
I suppose when anybody looks back at their life, what stands out are the things that were important to them and their family. My parents and family had such a big influence on me. And I want to do that with my own children – to be together as often as possible.
I’m not sure why but anything that involves family is very important to me.
Saoi sa Chathaoir
Evanne Ní Chuilinn – RTÉ ONE, Dé Máirt, 28 Iúil ag 7:30PM
An tseachtain seo ar Saoi sa Chathaoir, tá Evanne Ní Chuilinn ag suí sa Chathaoir ina gáirdín agus í ag caitheamh súil siar ar na h-imeachtaí agus ar na daoine a chuaigh i bhfeidhm uirthi sa saol go dtí seo. Is cuimhin léi an chéad taithí a bhí aici ar shaol na craoltóireachta agus í ar chuairt lena hathair agus é ag obair ar stáisiún raidió bradach.
“Do cheap mise go raibh an áit sin draíochtúil. Théadh mise ar chuairt ar an stáisiún le mo Dhaid. Bhí ort dréimire a dhreapadh go dtí bothán a bhí suite os cionn garáiste nó rud éiginn. Bhí sé ag titim as a chéile! Ach stiúideo a bhí ann, agus bhí gach rud ann – bhí mic ann, bhí control desk agus gach rud. Agus, do dhein mo Dhaid agus roinnt mhaith daoine eile cláracha raidió ón mbothán seo. Is dóigh liom gur spreag mo Dhaid i dtreo na craoltóireachta agus i dtreo na hiriseoireachta mé, agus i dtreo an draíocht sin idir an craoltóir agus na daoine sa bhaile.”
Is cuimhin le Evanne dul ar saoire lena clann mar chailín óg sa bhliain 1987, nuair a thug siad cuairt ar Inis Ceithleann an lá sular scaoileadh an buama a mharaigh aon duine dhéag ag an Seirbhís Chuimhneacháin.
“Is cuimhin liom fós dul ann, agus Inis Ceithleann a fhescint. An lá dár gcionn, b’shin an lá gur phléasc na buamaí uafásacha in Inis Ceithlinn. Agus is cuimhin liom an cineál eagla a bhí orm an lá sin agus ag rá ‘God, bhíomar ann inné.’ Agus bhí an ceart ag Mam. ‘Tá an-dainséar ag baint leis seo…’
Bhí tuiscint éigean agam ansin ar conas mar a bhí sé do m’athair ag fás aníos ar an teorainn. Agus is cuimhin liom a rá leis ‘why can’t they just make peace….. What is the point?’ Agus bhí mé timpeall seacht bliain d’aois nó mar sin agus ní raibh tuiscint cheart agam ar an rud. Níor dhéan sé ciall dom agus mé óg, agus ní dhéanann sé ciall go fóill.”
Roineann sí a cuimhní ar an uair gur cháiligh Éire don Chorn Domhanda sa Pheil den chéad uair:
“Is dóigh liom go raibh Italia ‘90 mar an chéad chomórtais dhomhanda go bhfuil cuimhne agam air. Toisc go raibh mé thart ar ocht nó naoi mbliain d’aois ag an am. Agus mar is eol do chách, bhí an tír seo iomlán tógtha leis. Bhí gach éinne ar bís. Tá gliondar croí orm ag cuimhniú siar air, agus is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé mar sin do gach duine.”
Míníonn Evanne gur uchtaíodh mar leanbh í agus gur bhuail sí lena máthair bhreithe, gurb as Tiobraid Árann di, den chéad uair agus í naoi mbliain déag d’aois. Déanann sí tagairt gur chuir sé as di go bhfuil fuil Tiobraid Árann inti toisc gur tógadh sa chontae mhór iomána Cill Cheannaigh í:
“Do dhaoine as Cill Cheannaigh bíonn do chuid féiniúlacht fite fuaite leis an iomáint. Ach is duine uchtaithe mé agus do bhuail mé le mo mháthair bhreithe Mary nuair a bhí mé naoi-déag. Agus nochtaíodh dom gurb as Tiobraid Árann atá mo chuid fola. Agus do chuir sé seo isteach orm mar bíonn an oiread sin comórtas ann idir Cill Cheannaigh agus na contaetha in aice leis, go háirithe idir Loch Garmán, Tiobraid Árann, agus Port Láirge. Tá mé ceart go leor leis anois, ach ag an tús bhuel, chun frása deas a chuir air bhí an–chuid banter agam le Mary agus le mo deartháireacha agus le mo deirfiúracha thíos i dTiobraid Árann”
Déanann Evanna trácht ar an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an gclann ina saol i gcónaí agus í ag breathnú siar agus ag breathnú amach chun tosaigh:
“Is dóigh liom nuair a bhreathnaíonn aon duine siar ar an saol, seasann rudaí amach a raibh tábhachtach dóibh agus dá mhuintir. Bhí tionchar chomh láidir sin ag mo thuismitheoirí orm agus ag mo chlann orm. Agus tá mé ag iarradh é sin a dhéanamh le mo pháistí féin – bheith le chéile chomh minic agus gur feidir. Nílim cinnte cén fáth ach aon rud a bhaineann le cúrsaí clainne tá se an–tábhachtach dom.”