TopTenThings
finished a dish, people online are already halfway through it and people are sending me in snaps of their dishes and they’re delighted with it.”
“I found that it was just this great way to interact with people and get them cooking. It was another way that I could share my love and passion for food and cooking, because honestly, I just love when people listen to me talk about cooking!” she laughed.
I think I started with about 40 people following me on it and I just kept at it and after a few weeks then, I had a few hundred people watching my snaps. I was such a dummy at the start because I didn’t realise that people could send me messages on it,” she laughed.
“When I figured this out, I’d say I spent about 20 minutes in bed reading all these lovely messages from all of these people who were telling me that they loved my cooking and what I was doing. Feedback like that really keeps you going and spurs you on even more.”
It is the connection and shared passion for cooking and creating food that she most values about her audience. This is also the reason why she says that she has so far refused to go down the route of ‘sponsored posts’ on her blog.
“My followers are very loyal, they’re interactive, they talk to me all the time and so there’s a great relationship and rapport so to speak between us. The road of sponsored posts, where sponsors send you their products to talk about on your blog, this is a road that I definitively chose not to go down.”
“‘Kenmare Foodie’ is and always will be about the food, about home cooking, my family, my life. That’s the track that I started on
Karen says that it is this success and connection with her audience through Instagram and Snapchat that ultimately has led to her upcoming live cooking demonstration on RTÉ’s Today Show on October 25.
“Obviously the Today Show team saw what I was doing with my Snapchat and Instagram videos and out of the blue, they [a producer for the show] got in touch with me at the end of August and asked would I be interested in doing a screen test. I think that I stood in the kitchen and screamed,” she laughed.
It’s beyond anything that I ever could have dreamed of. For it to come out of the blue like, in a message, just when you’ve finished cooking on Instagram, as you do, was so surreal!”
“I did the screen test back in August and they were fabulous up there. They were all so lovely, the TV crew, the camera man, the floor man and the producer, they put me at ease. It went very well thankfully and so they asked me back on for Wednesday October 25.”
“Now that it’s getting closer to the date, all I’m thinking is ‘How in the name of God did this happen?’”
So, how is she feeling about her upcoming TV appearance?
“Very excited, bursting with excitement. A little bit nervous of course, but I really just want to get on now and do the best that I can do.”
I’d say that I’ll be a little starstruck when I meet Daithí. I mean, it’s one thing to cook on television, but this is going to be live, I’ll have eight minutes so there’ll be no room at all for any mess ups so I got to get myself into the zone!” she finished.
Anyone looking to find out more about Karen can do so by heading over to her website at www.kenmarefoodies.com or at her ‘Kenmare Foodie’ page on Facebook.
1. REGINALD D HUNTER BRINGS HIS COMEDY TO INEC
FRESH from his revealing interview with ‘The Kerryman’ last week, comedian Reginald D Hunter is now preparing to bring his comedic talents to the INEC in Killarney, tomorrow, Thursday October 19.
Known for his often ‘controversial’ humour and outlook on life, the man with the booming laugh will be kicking off his show at 8pm on the night. Doors are set to open at 7pm and tickets will cost €25.
2. GET SET TO ENJOY ‘OTHER SIDE’ CHAT SHOW
THE hugely popular ‘Other Side’ chat show is returning to Tralee later this month and the first guest on this edition of the show has been revealed.
Taking place in Benners Hotel on the night of Friday October 27, the event will see the author behind the famous ‘Ross O’Carroll Kelly’ character, Paul Howard, chatting about his work.
‘Other Side’ is a completely free event and will be starting at 8:30pm on the night.
3. RECOVERY HAVEN TO HOLD ‘PINK NAILS’ EVENT
RECOVERY Haven will tomorrow, Thursday October 19, hold its annual ‘Pink Nails’ coffee morning in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.
The event will run from 11am to 1:30pm and this event will give women the chance to have their nails painted free of charge by professionals.
4. ANNUAL RATHMORE FASHION SHOW
THE ‘Friends of the Children of Chernobyl’ Rathmore Branch will hold their annual fundrausing fashion show tomorrow, Thursday October 19, in the Community Centre in Rathmore.
The night will start at 8pm and tickets for the show are set to cost €12; please contact the following for tickets: Betty (0876323922), Mairead (0860653369) and Eileen (0861733094)
5. FASHION SHOW SET FOR TOURNAFULLA
TOURNAFULLA Camogie Club in Abbeyfeale will hold a fun fashion show this coming Thursday October 19, in the Community Centre in Tournafulla.
The night will be commencing with a cheese and wine reception at 7:15pm, while the fashion show itself will be starting at 8pm.
The show will feature local models and all outfits modelled will be from local boutiques.
This great night of fashion promises to be a great night out for all and certainly not one to be missed out on; make sure that you get your tickets.
6. KILLORGLIN’S CATHAL LAUNCHING DEBUT ALBUM
CATHAL Dowd, a musician from Killorglin, will launch his debut album “Friendly Shores” this coming Thursday October 19 in the Sol Y Sombra bar in Killorglin.
A folk inspired musician whose influences include Newton Faulkner and Paul Simon, Cathal’s night will kick off at 9pm in the bar. Entry is free.
7. GAVIN JAMES SET TO PLAY INEC ON FRIDAY
THE musical talent of one of Irelands most popular singers, Gavin James, is set to be on show in KIllarney this coming Friday October 20.
Gavin’s show will cost €27.90, with doors set to open at 7:30pm with the show itself starting at 8:30pm.
8. GET TICKETS FOR ADAPT KERRY FASHION SHOW
THE team at the Adapt Kerry Charity Shop in Tralee are set to do their own little bit for charity this month when they host their charity fashion show on Friday October 20.
The show will attempt to raise as much money as possible for the ‘Adapt Kerry Women’s Refuge’ charity. Tickets are set to cost €5 and are available to buy from the shop.
Doors will open at 7pm on the night with the show itself set to start at 7:30pm.
9. GET DANCING IN AID OF CHARITY
THE Chernobyl Children’s Fund in Tralee will host their weekly social night dances in the Grand Hotel in Tralee this month.
The dances start at 9pm every Wednesday night with the dances set to cost €8.
The lineup for the month of October is as follows: Peter Burke (October 18) and Michael Sexton (October 25).
10. GET EXERCISING THIS WEEKEND
“I find cooking very therapeutic, I find it very relaxing, but for me, the most important thing has always been about helping to feed my family.”
OCTOBER is here so why not try to head down to take part in one of the many parkruns taking place around Kerry at the weekends?
There are four parkruns in Kerry: Tralee, Killarney, Listowel and the Tralee Junior parkrun.
These completely free 5km events are run every weekend by volunteers and they have been proven to be extremely popular in improving both physical and mental health.
The Tralee. Listowel and Killarney parkruns are held every Saturday morning from 9:30am onwards while the Tralee Junior parkrun takes place on Sunday at 9:30am - these 2km events are aged for children from 4-14 years old.
People can register and print off their barcode at parkrun.ie.