In the latest of our Northern Roots series, where we speak to people originally from Northern Ireland but currently living elsewhere – or vice versa – our interviewee is Méabh Nic Alastair in London. You can follow Méabh on Twitter at @meabhnica.

 

1. Tell us about yourself. When did you leave Northern Ireland, and where did you go? What do you do now?

I grew up in the glorious village of Cushendall on the Antrim coast, before leaving to go to college in Galway to study Gaeilge and Sociology and Political Science at NUIG in 2006. Then in 2011, I moved back north to Belfast where I worked in Irish language media for 5 years, working up from trainee to Producer during that time. The move to London is relatively recent; I moved here to be with my other half – a Donegal man. I wanted a fresh challenge and sought to add to my producer experience by working in more mainstream media and take a break from Irish language scene for a little while.

But the best laid plans, oft go awry, as we all know, and I am currently on a mini career break, but a welcome one at that. In August last year, we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our lives and I am spending my maternity leave getting to know a very different London than the one I had envisaged.  It is a fantastic place to have a baby and the social networks for parents are aplenty. I never would have thought I would be entering motherhood in this marvellous city, but I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I intend to take 9 months to spend with the little lady and then the job search begins in earnest, so I anticipate quite a challenge ahead – not to mention the looming headache of childcare.

 

2. What do you think when you see the Northern Ireland of today, in the news and on social media?

I still listen to local radio, and generally keep abreast of what is going on (or not going on as the case often is) back home, so in one sense what I am tuned in to is skewed to a home audience. However, I must say that when the North does hit the headlines, it often isn’t something to be proud of. I have felt ashamed at the issues that do make national headlines, ie. the lack of an Executive at Stormont, the shock when the British public learned about key policies of the DUP when they lent their support to the Tory government (ie. being against equal marriage and abortion). So, politically speaking, it doesn’t fill me with much joy when I hear commentary about us in the news.
However, there have been some things to be really proud of that have come out of NI, especially in the tourism and creative industries. One huge source of pride is seeing our countryside and coastline featured so wonderfully on the likes of Game of Thrones, as well as some of the BBC drama series of late. The One Show also did a week-long feature during the summer on the Causeway coast, and featured Cushendall in one of the episodes, and as I sat as a (very) heavily pregnant woman, missing home, it made me burst with pride seeing our beautiful home on the little screen – and it was very sunny too which made it look all the more spectacular. The hormones were definitely wreaking havoc, but it did make me awfully happy.

 

3. Are you hopeful for Northern Ireland’s future? Will Brexit make a difference?

Brexit will definitely make a huge difference to the North. It can’t not. Though the difference will be gradual, so may not be so obvious until we are well down the Brexit road. Because as we all know, Brexit means Brexit, whatever that means… I don’t know if I could say I am hopeful. I feel that it will mean that we will be working a lot more closely with the Republic of Ireland, we are an island and that binds us together much more than any other factor – but I don’t know how that will sit with much of the population in the North. I think we still are a long way away from knowing what a Brexit future looks like.

4. Do you think you will return to Northern Ireland? What could convince you to come back?

I will definitely be coming back home, I would like my daughter to be raised where I was and to hold the same values that I believe are unique to our place. A sense of place and belonging is hugely important to me, and I think having grown up in Cushendall, where the community spirit is remarkable, it is something I would like for my own daughter.

 

5. What can Northern Ireland learn from the place you live now?

There is much that can be learned from London and applied to our wee country. London is a wonderfully diverse and multicultural city where inclusivity and acceptance are part of the fabric of life here. Each day one can meet people of all class, colours and persuasion, and that you should not fear what you don’t understand. I think especially with the debate around the Irish language – something that is of huge importance to me – NI could learn to be more tolerant and that linguistic diversity is something to be proud of, not to fear. Every day on the tubes, trains, buses, so many different languages are to be heard and it is fascinating. We are bringing our daughter up bilingually, and it is such a norm here in London to do that, yet it is met with distain at home. I still have to find an Irish speaking childminder though – it’s no easy feat! Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.

6. If Northern Ireland had a president with sweeping powers, and it was you, what would you do?

Well I do consider Michael D Higgins to be that president. As an Irish citizen, he is president to me, and I think he does a stellar job too. I was fortunate to still live and vote in the Republic when he was campaigning for the presidency and was able to vote for him. I think that Irish citizens across the whole island should be entitled to vote in the presidential election.
But I appreciate that wasn’t really the question you are asking… so I would create a strategy of sorts to ensure that rural areas are funded and supported, not just our urban centres. The towns and villages of NI are so important and need to attract their young people back and convince them to stick around. I would also do more to support women and give them better statutory maternity pay!

 

7. What would you like to see more of on Northern Slant?

I must admit I am quite new to Northern Slant – but perhaps some video content?!

 

8. If you could ask three Northern Ireland politicians (past or present) to dinner, who would they be? And why?

Would I really have to invite three? Ok… I would say Mary McAleese – I am taking some artistic license with this one – I don’t know if she qualifies as a ‘Northern Ireland politician’, but she is awfully good craic and full of intelligent and interesting stories.

Bernadette Devlin McAliskey would be an insightful guest and I would finish up with asking Arlene Foster herself and enjoy watching them all discuss and debate the issues of the day.

 

9. Do you have a favourite quote, or mantra?

I think that John Hewitt did a wonderful job of dealing with the tricky subject of identity… “I’m an Ulsterman, of planter stock. I was born in the island of Ireland, so secondarily I’m an Irishman. I was born in the British archipelago and English is my native tongue, so I am British. The British archipelago consists of offshore islands to the continent of Europe, so I’m European. This is my hierarchy of values and so far as I am concerned, anyone who omits one step in that sequence of values is falsifying the situation.” This has always resonated with me.

 

10. What’s your message for people back home?

Keep ‘er lit.


Also published on Medium.