Muireann O’Connell is a busy woman, we catch up with her after some comes off air on Ireland AM.
Seriously, she is all go! We gush about her coat that she was wearing for the show. But she admits that she needs a raincoat. “I’m that Irish person who doesn’t have a raincoat, that needs a raincoat, that knows you’re going to be rained on especially when I’m at home or I’m in Kerry and your whole life is being rained on and I don’t have a raincoat.”
But apart from her dreamy wardrobe, we catch up about Ireland AM, podcasting and her grá for a takeaway!
Hey Muireann, how are you?
I’m good, how are you?
You’re back again for the Just Eat Awards, how excited are you?
So excited! I am delighted to launch this year’s Just Eat Awards. These Awards celebrate all the local heroes across the country who day in day out provide us with the most delicious food straight to our door. This is my second year to host the awards – awards that are voted on with the public, so they get to recognise their favourite restaurants, takeaways and grocery and convenience retailers across the country! There is a huge amount of pressure on the industry and fair play to them for being a huge part of people’s communities and lives.
Now Muireann, as well as your grá for a takeaway, you are brilliant on social media. You’re great at laughing off any negative comments but do they affect you?
Of course sometimes they do but it really is the bigger picture, I mean getting a nasty comment on social media is not a big deal in comparison to what’s going on in the world, I’m sorry to say it but we have got to have a little bit of perspective about what’s happening and if someone feels the need to take out their frustration at whatever is going on in their life at me, that grand in the scheme of things. We are looking at a very divided world, we are looking at wars going on, and we are seeing babies dying. I think about comments, anyone can handle bad comments.
You’re so right! And with Ireland AM there can be some really intense moments. How do you unwind from that?
It’s fast pace, right? So, you keep on going. After, the show is over your moving on to the next day. So, it is the day before you can get very invested in a story and kind of look into it in a very deep way and keep on reading more and more things. Of course, it can affect you because there are such devastating stories in the world, and it just makes you appreciate definitely what it is that you have. We are going from incredibly dark stories and then you know next thing we are going to have a turkey playing a dog who’s blowing a trumpet. It’s just the nature of the game. You’ve got to roll with it.
I like to unwind by trying to make exercise a part of my every single day, so I treat it like a meeting. It just does so much for the head, that’s one thing that I notice. I do not have children, and that is a job on top of your job because we all know that most people can’t have a full-time job now, it’s very hard for people, if they wish to be a stay-at-home parent, that you just can’t afford it these days. So, I am very lucky that I do have a pile of time, that’s great that I can decide what I want to do with it when I’m not working, so I’m all good, I’m good for winding down. I spend a lot of time, I do love my reading, I try to get a bit of exercise every single day and of course, I love my stories on TV.
And your water bottle! Is she still going strong?
The €6 water bottle is going strong. The seal is getting a little bit weaker so it’s starting to leak on me, but the water bottle comes with me absolutely everywhere, people are used to seeing it coming. ‘Where is the bottle?’ is what happens if I don’t have it with me. So, I’m still a water girl!
Now Muireann, you love a chat. And so do we. You even had your podcast with Emma Doran. So how do you compartmentalize from podcast Muireann and TV Muireann?
Oh God, you know you can’t just go off on a chat on Ireland AM, you have got nine minutes, and you’ve got everything you’ve got to get in for those nine minutes. It’s absolutely, perfectly fine but we stopped the podcast because we didn’t have the time for it, a few weeks ago, because it was just getting very very busy. It was a great year, we had loads and loads and loads of fun, and I really enjoyed the podcast. I’ve always loved audio and continue to enjoy them all the time and listening to them.
Ah, we’ll miss the podcast now!
Yeah, I was editing and everything and that was taking up a chunk of time that I just didn’t have anymore. There were a few weeks there where we weren’t actually able to meet up to record the podcast because we were both doing other things. So, we had a great time. It was lovely!
Muireann, we love your OOTD [Outfit of the Day] posts on Instagram. Are you a fashionista?
I am not good at the old shopping and I’m three different body sizes over the course of a month which can be rather annoying when you’re like ‘Oh I’m going to wear that today’ and then you’re like, ‘Oh, I absolutely cannot fit into that’. I’m kind of bad at it. An awful lot of the time is best in the office at five o clock in the morning and I’m after been ripped my wardrobe apart to find something to wear. That’s the other side of it. If I was an organised person and I could pair what I’m going to wear that would be great but instead, I’m like ‘Oh jeez I’ve got nothing to wear.’ I know I’ve got loads of things to wear.
While the fashion has to be a plus, what is the best part of your job?
Getting to talk to people, getting shoutouts. I realise how lucky I am every single day that I absolutely adore my job and I can say that without any hesitation. I am so lucky that this is the job I get to do, with some of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. A team of people on Ireland AM who work so hard, it is unbelievable the amount of work they do. When you’re sitting there, you’re talking nine items every single day, they will do that. The three of us only work four days a week, myself, Allen, and Tommy, so we are very lucky. I love everything about it. I love getting to meet people, I love the crew that are there, ready at five o’clock in the morning and big smiles on their faces, ready to go. These people who have been doing it for 22 years and there still as sound and lovely I’m sure as they were when they first started the job, almost two decades ago.
Now Muireann, before we let you go what advice would you give teenage you?
Muireann: Cop on to yourself a little sooner in life. Take responsibility and control of boring things that you want to ignore. You know bills and pensions and trying to buy a house. All those very grown-up things. To pay attention to that stuff a lot sooner. Have a little bit more, I think for a lot of people, you know having more confidence. I’m never afraid of hard work, I love a bit of hard work, but having confidence in giving something a go is probably something I would have loved to realise an awful lot sooner. And you know what’s the worst that can happen. We’re all going to die at the end of the day. Might as well have a bit of craic on the way.
The Just Eat Awards are back for their 10th year celebrating Just Eat’s partners across the country, giving them the recognition and love they deserve for their commitment to delivery excellence. Voting is now open here until 13th December 2023 with all voters in with a chance of winning free takeaway for a year!
