WHAT ADVICE would you pass on to your 16-year-old self given the opportunity?
Well-known Irish personalities were asked to do just that for a book entitled With Love from Me to Mein support of the Irish Youth Foundation.
Miriam O’Callaghan, who launched the book last night, initially had some reservations.
“When I heard about it first I wasn’t going to do it. I wasn’t the happiest 16 year old in the world but then I thought maybe it’s only fair for other 16 year olds who mightn’t be in the happiest place . . . that actually you might not be a very happy 16 year old but your life might just turn out okay.”
Brian Keenan encloses a cross as a talisman to his young self, despite admitting he is not religious, but includes no warning that he will be held hostage in Beirut for 4½ years. “No, I just think that what happened to me 20 years ago was an incident in my personal history and that’s all . . . I wanted to give advice that was life enduring,” he said.
Musician Damien Dempsey, advised “the young fella” about some of the struggles ahead. “I said it’s going to be a long, arduous journey . . . at times you’re going to have no money and you’re going to feel like giving it up but if you saw . . . the venues around the world you’ll play some day and some of your heroes you’re going to meet and share the stage with, you’ll keep going.”
Author Patricia Scanlan advised her 16-year-old self to keep enjoying herself, not to worry about passing Leaving Cert maths and not to invest in Anglo.
For every copy sold in an Eason’s store an additional €1 will be donated to the Irish Youth Foundation.