I’ve lived in Neilstown, Clondalkin, my whole life. I still live in the house I grew up in. I remember growing up, groups of kids on the road would all play together. There was a sense of community. I suppose the area was a bit rougher then, but I think with money and projects pumped into the area, it’s made it a better place to live.
I used to love the youth club across the road, because I loved the people who ran it. They were really good role models. They were really friendly. I was surrounded by really nice adults, growing up.
I was named after the singer [Enya], but I honestly have never heard her played once in this house, ever. So, I don’t know whether that was a spur-of-the-moment thing. But thank God my parents didn’t like Meatloaf, because I would have been a target for bullying at school.
I’d love to stay in Clondalkin when I do get my own house, because, I suppose, I am who I am because of the area that I grew up in. My other half is from Clondalkin as well – he’s from up the road in a place called Woodford. We’re together 16 years. One of the things I hate about Ireland is the housing crisis. When I hear my parents talk about how much their house was many moons ago, I just think to myself, Jesus. Me and my fella, we’re really going to struggle. So many people are emigrating. It’s sad because sometimes you don’t have a choice.
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I’m glad I grew up in a working-class area, because of my accent. Sometimes, I can get a bit of guff online – on TikTok, people can be a bit classist – but honestly, I would not be able to deliver my jokes in the same way if I didn’t have the accent that I have. And comedy is universal. The stuff I talk about is relatable across the globe – relationships, friendships, holidays and stuff. In Ireland, I can be as Irish as I want, and people understand it. If I go abroad, I do have to tone down the accent a bit. But that is a huge element of my comedy – my accent.
My first introduction to stand-up comedy was when I staying over at a friend’s house. His mother loved Brendan O’Carroll, and she put a tape of him on. I never knew stand-up comics existed.
When I look back now to my first gig, the material was shocking. It went down well, and I got a lot of positive feedback, but it was quite weak when I look back. I kind of just spoke about the area that I grew up in. People could relate to that stuff. You can only write about what you know.
I love the Irish sense of humour. You could say something so offensive to someone Irish, and they’ll just laugh it off. They’ll know you’re not serious. I think I get my madness from my mother. She’s not shy at all. I always say, if she was born in this generation, and she had the freedom I did, I definitely think she’d be in this industry. And she’d be great at it as well. [When she was growing up], it was: leave school early, mind your brothers and sisters while your parents worked. You had to get a job for income. There was no room for going for the career of your dreams. I love bringing her onstage, because I know deep down it’s something that she enjoys. Obviously, she’s proud of me, but I do think she enjoys being the centre of attention.
Every year, I think [the previous year] can’t be topped. I could just be minding my own business one day, and an email will come in, and I’ll be like: oh my God, that’s such a great opportunity. That’s the nice thing about being self-employed. Sometimes you don’t know where your income is going to come from, but also you can just be taken by surprise on a random day.
I would say my highlight of the previous year was being able to buy my own car. It was my third car, but to be able to buy my dream car was a symbol of how far I’ve come and how hard I’ve worked. When I was coming home from the US recently, I asked at the desk how much it was to upgrade to premium economy. She told me, and I was like, yeah, go on, I’ll upgrade. Doing things like that, when I grew up in a working-class area and thought there’s not much that I’m going to amount to, or I’m probably just going to have to get a job like everyone else ... is something I never thought I’d be able to do. There have been a lot of pinch-me moments in the last few years. I’m so grateful.
By now I thought I would have broken the UK, but I always try not to play that comparison game. If it’s for you it won’t pass you by. Don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter 10. But I just think one day, like I said, an email or a DM is going to slip into my inbox and that’s going to ignite that fire for UK shows. I’d love to be a UK household name. Look at Brendan O’Carroll, he did well in the UK. There’s loads of Irish comics that do well over there. So that is the dream, career-wise.
In conversation with Niamh Donnelly. This interview, part of a series, was edited for clarity and length. Enya Martin plays Vicar Street on March 8th, and TF Royal Castlebar on March 21st. For tickets, see ticketmaster.ie
