TY Memories

JARLATH REGAN, Comedian

"AT THE TIME, it was the best year of my life," says stand-up comedian Jarlath Regan (aged 29) of his Transition Year days. "We'd just come from Junior Cert, where we'd been told that the decisions we made now would affect the rest of our lives. It was a lot to take in."

TY offered some breathing space. It was, Regan recalls, a time to take stock and broaden his view of the world. During his time in TY, Regan cut his teeth on public speaking, and found he enjoyed getting up in front of people and making them laugh.

"Debating was my route to stand-up," he says. "TY offered me a chance to really pursue what suited me, and had a massive influence on my career. What did I do in TY? I spent the year laughing."

* Jarlath Regan's new book, How to Break Bad News, is published by Transworld Ireland

SYBIL MULCAHY, Presenter, TV3

TV PRESENTER Sybil Mulcahy spent Transition Year at Mount Anville School in Dublin. "There was no way I was skipping it," she remembers. "It's always considered the doss year, the time to learn about yourself, and get a real taste of life experience, isn't it?" Mulcahy says she threw herself into all manner of activities. "Sport, sport, sport, sport, sport!" she says. "I was sports mad, and spent the year playing lots of hockey and netball. There was also a huge emphasis on bonding, and with 125 girls in the class, they sent us on lots of trips. We went to Delphi in Galway and had a blast. It was a year when friendships were cemented."

Looking back, Mulcahy sees TY as an important part of her development: "Life can be hard when you leave school and college. It's nice to have those times where you can enjoy yourself, have new experiences, and meet new people. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

ROB ROSS,  Presenter, RTÉ 2

'MATURE ENOUGH for fifth year? No way!" laughs Rob Ross, presenter of RTE's Two's ICEshow, a programme aimed at young people. "Actually, I could have done with an extra two or three years in Transition Year." Ross, who attended the Marist College in Athlone, describes himself as "one of those freak people who actually enjoyed school." Unlike some of his peers, however, he had no idea what career he wanted to pursue.

“I still don’t,” he says. “I did my work experience in RTÉ Athlone. I’d never seen the process of TV or how it worked and it really pushed me towards what I’m doing now.” Outside of RTÉ, Ross nurtured a creative flair by working on his school’s magazine: “It opened my eyes to a different world. I really enjoyed using my imagination, and I reckon that’s the best legacy Transition Year left me.”