MARY KENNEDY

Presenter

How did you feel welcoming your first grandchild?

My eldest daughter Aoife has three children – Paddy, aged four; Holly, aged two-and-a-half; and Julia who is eight-months. My son Tom and his wife had their first baby 11 weeks ago, a little girl named Charlotte. Welcoming my first grandchild, Paddy, was a very dramatic moment because I was thinking of Aoife in a different way. She is my child and she was becoming a mother herself. As she was coming towards the end of her pregnancy, I was nervous because labour is very hard. I’d say every grandmother is the same. You don’t want your children to go through pain. I would have wished that away. She’s a very strong woman. She’s had no epidurals and has had three children. Paddy is a gorgeous little fellow. He’s just so sweet. I feel very lucky. While they live in Limerick which isn’t down the road, I have many friends whose grandchildren live in Dubai and Australia. I also feel lucky because we’re living in an age where we have FaceTime and WhatsApp. That was very important to me, because he was born in 2019. Nobody was at his first birthday party. It was April 2020 and we were all in lockdown. That was pretty sad watching it online. It was him, his mam, dad and four teddies sitting at the table eating jelly and icecream. It’s the next generation and the family line being continued. We have an important role by supporting our kids. They’re just the greatest fun.

What is the biggest difference between being a mother and grandmother?

What I noticed most is that they’re so funny. I say to my children that I don’t remember when they were like that. I’ve no doubt they were, but you’re just so busy as a parent. I always give young mothers this advice: if my children were quiet when they were small, like when they were having their tea, I would go and put on a wash. If I had the time back, I wouldn’t do that. I would sit down with them and listen to their fun and games. That’s the biggest difference I notice. You get to take in those small moments with your grandchildren.

Has welcoming grandchildren changed your perspective on life?

There’s a lovely quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, he wrote The Little

Prince. One of the lines translated said, “There is no hope of joy except in human relations.” It’s about nurturing your relationships. That’s what’s important. It’s about having family, friends and love as your priorities and not acquiring things. When my grandchildren come up from Limerick, we go to a playground near my house, they call it “Grandma’s Playground”. Children don’t need much, it’s the simple things, such as being outdoors.

Do you have a standout memory with your grandchildren?

After lockdown, I rented a house for a week to fit everyone in the family.

Last year, we went to Rosslare in Wexford. The year before it was Valencia Island, off Kerry. I think those moments are very precious because they cement the bond, not only between grandparents and grandchildren, but also between aunts and uncles.