A recent storm battered down around us as we were nestled up in the Castlemartyr Resort, Cork. While the wind galed and the rain poured, Sinead Kennedy kept up her bright and sunny disposition. “Well, I guess that’s our plan of frolicking through the maze dashed then?” she asked with a laugh, as we all peered out one of the grand windows, overlooking the incredible grounds and old ruins. “Not to worry, I’ll run through the halls instead,” she giggled.
Always ready to readjust in a heartbeat, that’s our Sinead.
“That’s the thing with life, isn’t it, it mightn’t work out as we initially imagined, but we get there in the end.” She goes on to say, “I’m very much about being in the moment, living day-to-day, month-to-month. Life loves to mess with your plans so it’s best potentially not to have them. I think that’s why Conor and I are a good mix because he’s the planner and I’m the exact opposite so we fill that gap for one another.”
And given their current setup, a planner is exactly what’s needed! Sinead and her husband Conor, a naval officer based in Brussels with the European Defence Agency, have been together since 2005 and share two adorable children, Indie (4) and Theo (2). They go back and forth between Ireland and Belgium, and while it’s busy, it works for them. Just last summer they moved into a new house in Belgium, and watching the kids grow up in two cities, enjoying new ways of life, new people and new cultures, is one of their core highlights.
“To know that’s what it’s going to be the next few summers for us, it’s great,” Sinead says. “I love Belgium and being over there. The kids love it, we’ve a great group of friends and a lovely life there.” But despite the lovely moments, it’s undeniably hard, too. “The absences are harder for Conor. I find it hard and I miss him so much. I’ve the busier side in many respects with the kids, but equally the easier side because I have them here. Conor has a hard time. I couldn’t do what he does. We’re both making sacrifices, we’re both on very different paths but leading in the same direction with the same end goal.”
Here, we sit down with Sinead to delve in further…
Sinead, thanks for joining us today! All glammed up, pics done, now straight home now to the smallies?
The shoot was so lovely, but straight home into mom mode! All dressed up with nowhere to go. Whenever I have my hair and makeup done for work, Theo just looks at me funny, but Indie will always say something about how she can’t wait to wear the makeup when she’s older. She thinks it’s so pretty.
Adorable!
They are! They’re gorgeous ages too, Indie’s four and Theo’s two. It’s so true what they say, that the days are long but the years are short. The time just flies! We’ve been talking about big school for Indie in September and sure Theo will be starting preschool then. My babies are growing up!
How are you feeling about that?
I know it’s the way of the world and it’s how it has to be, but I’m not looking forward to it. I take parental leave a few days a week and love my time with them. I love the setup as it is. Obviously it’d be better if we were all together all of the time, and there was less flights and less chaos, but I love the amount of time I get with them. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself when they go to school, to be honest! Do I go back to work full time or is that when you catch up on life admin and savour the hours you do have? Y’know, I’m not very good at future planning, forward thinking. It’s never been me. I’m very much in the moment, living day-to-day, month-to-month. Life loves to mess with your plans so it’s best potentially not to have them. I think that’s why Conor and I are a good mix because he’s the planner and I’m the exact opposite so we fill that gap for one another.
They do say opposites attract!
This is it, for sure!
How has life changed for you since little Theo arrived?
It’s so busy! From zero to one, you’re just so overwhelmed with the whole thing because it’s such a new experience. During the second pregnancy you realise you had the princess pregnancy as they call it on the first where everyone is looking after you, but when you really need it is on the second. You’re so much more tired because you’re pregnant and still chasing after another small human. From the off, it’s busy. My two are chalk and cheese and I love that about them. He’s wild, a total scream but you couldn’t take your eyes off him! He’d do things that wouldn’t have ever even occurred to Indie. I joke with Conor about how we have to spend our days just keeping him alive. It’s double the chaos now, but double the joy. My life is busy, our current setup is busy, so I don’t think I know life any other way. It works. We make it work and roll with it.
Does Indie love being a big sister?
She does, and for the most part they’re the best of pals. She dotes on him, she minds him and she’s very much the boss but he’s happy with that. Of course he winds her up sometimes. She wants her space to play and he bulldozes through something she’s just spent a half an hour building so there’s war then. You just laugh and watch it play out, see how they resolve it. They’re great together though, really good friends. I could watch them all day, talk about them all day, but I haven’t become the person who’s going to show off every single photo of them. Nobody is going to love them as much as I do anyway.
Some things are also just so sacred.
That’s true! I rave about them from the rooftops but I don’t do the photo thing, I never have and never will, that’s just the way we are and we’re very much aligned on it. We made the decision from day dot and I think more and more people are doing the same, not oversharing their child’s image online. Each to their own is what I say!
Especially with all the news at the moment about deep fake imagery and AI, people are so terrified of what could happen.
That’s it, isn’t it? There’s so many ads coming out now as well, raising awareness of how incredible AI can be in the right hands, but similarly how dangerous it can be in the wrong ones. When they’re older I’m sure social media and technology will have come on leaps and bounds, it’ll be even more innovative but it’ll be their choice to do what they want, and choose what to do with their own image. But in the mean time, it’s our jobs as parents to protect them.
When she grows up she’ll probably have you doing TikTok dances around the kitchen!
I’ve no doubt about it [laughs]. Indie is such a chatterbox. I’m very careful about what I allow them to watch on screens as well. We’re big Ms Rachel fans in our house and because it was initially on YouTube, they’d let it roll into other things so you have to be so careful as you don’t know what it’ll play next. One day it rolled into a clip, something completely innocent, of a child demoing a toy. Now if there’s anything Indie wants to show you, she almost does it like a YouTube video. A little presenter in the making.
Maybe she’ll follow in your footsteps so!
She’ll do far better than me in every facet of her life. I’ve no idea what’ll be for her, but she’s an absolute chatterbox. Who knows what’s on the horizon?
And it was Theo’s christening at the end of January, how was that?
Ah, it was so lovely. He was so cute going around in his little suit with his hands in his pockets. He was the star of the show, a little dote and Indie enjoyed the little ceremony. It was great to get everyone together.
Since you and Conor are apart so often, it must be so much more special when you get the chance to celebrate lovely days with everyone.
Oh it’s great! It’s not often you have an excuse to bring both sides of the family together. We were so happy to see everyone. The day just flew in, it was like a mini wedding. And the sign of a great day is that I don’t have a single picture of my two together, actually the four of us together and I’m raging with myself over it but it didn’t occur to me in the moment. The one time we all scrubbed up and looked well, and I forgot. The only pics of me with the kids in their early days will be me looking wrecked and dishevelled, and that’s fine too, it’s closer to the reality in fairness [laughs]. It’ll reflect real life!
Has Conor gone back to Belgium now? Will you be going over any time soon?
I’m not going over for another few weeks and that’ll probably be the longest stint for me in years. It’s just the way it’s working out for us now at the moment, I probably won’t be over until March whereas normally I’d be over and back a lot, but we’ve a lot on over the next few weeks so Conor will be over here more often than not. I love Belgium and being over there. The kids love it. We’ve a great group of friends and a lovely life there. But I won’t be back for a few weeks and I’m a bit sad about it.
How do you find it, travelling with the little ones? Any tips for other parents? You must be a dab hand at the airport entertainment at this stage!
Sometimes! I’ve got the packing down to a fine art because obviously with two, you’re just managing the essentials. It’s easier for me to pack light though, because our whole life is over in Brussels. If you seen me in the airport, you wouldn’t want any tips because it looks like chaos. And it is, but it’s organised chaos. They’ve been on so many flights now, they don’t see it as anything other than this is how we go to see dad. It’s the same as a bus or a train to them. There’s no drama. We bring the snacks and the toys. Do you know those little magnet tiles? They’re the ultimate buy! A drawing board keeps them entertained too and I’ve colouring books as well. And for worst case scenario, I’ve always a couple of their favourite things downloaded on Netflix.
There’s swings and roundabouts with every situation, but isn’t it lovely for them to spend these summers in a gorgeous place, experiencing life with new people, new things, new cultures?
100 per cent. I enjoy it and they love it. We were in an apartment for the first few years but summer just gone, we moved into a house and it is beautiful. The back garden has been a game changer for us. The apartment would be so hot, it was like being in an oven and with Theo, being the monkey he is, I was terrified especially of the balcony. When we moved into the house, everyone could relax a bit more because we had the space. Last summer we spent every minute just watching them play in the garden in their little sand pit. They
had the best time, their little friends were coming over, we bought a BBQ and it was just gorgeous. To know that’s going to be us for the next few summers, it’s great. We can’t complain, we’ve a lovely time. There’s a really nice pace of life and it’s a very family-orientated place to live.
While there’s lovely memories, the absence must be undeniably difficult. How do you navigate that?
The absences are harder for Conor. I find it hard and I miss him so much, but I still have the two of them with me. I’ve an incredible support network, my mum in particular is amazing and I’d be lost without her. In Dublin I have the best in-laws in the world and they’re brilliant. I couldn’t be luckier with the people we have around us. I’m slow to complain. I’ve the busier side in many respects with the kids, but equally the easier side because I have them. Conor has a hard time. I couldn’t do what he does.
He must miss them so much.
He really, genuinely does. He misses them so much and it’s very hard for him. I’m very lucky, I get to put the kids to bed at night. We’re both making sacrifices, we’re both on very different paths but leading in the same direction with the same end goal.
How long have you and Conor been together now, just over 20 years is it?
It’s a long time! It must be around that. It was 2005, so yes, just over 20 years. We were just babies then!
And it was around the same time your telly career kicked off. A big time in your life!
Massively! Looking back, it’s incredible really at what we’ve achieved in that time.
Talk to us about Today. How long have you been part of it now?
I joined in 2020, during Covid. I was offered the show two years before that when I was on Winning Streak but between the jigs and the reels, it didn’t happen. I’d have been working in two different counties and my life is chaotic enough so it just didn’t end up happening. When the opportunity came up to work on it again, I said absolutely. It was perfect for me.
You seem so at peace on the show. Do you adore it?
I do! It’s like a home away from home. I started here at 19. I sent in my audition tape, did loads of interviews and ended up getting on a kids programme which was partially based in Cork, partially in Dublin. I’ve been with RTÉ for twenty-odd years now. I feel really comfortable. Today is light entertainment, you come in, have a good time and want to make sure the people watching at home are enjoying it. Don’t get me wrong, I love documentaries and the heavy, deeper side of things, but it takes a different kind of pace. The live, day-to-day job, I love it so much. We’ve such a laugh.
What’s your favourite part of it?
The people I work with. We’ve such a great crew here and working with Dáithí is a dream. We know each other so well, we get on so well. It’s very easy with us. We don’t have to force anything, we can slag each other, have a bit of fun and we both know each other’s intentions. He’s a joy. The crew behind the scenes who do all of the hard work, they’re wonderful. We’ve a great team. The contributors and people who come on, the stylists, the chefs, we’ve a lovely network of panellists. It’s genuinely a lovely place to work.
What about the toughest? Not even on this show itself, but you’ve done so much over the last two decades on air, have there been moments you’ve been left deflated or disheartened, and how do you deal with that?
Oh there’s definitely been those moments, but I think you get better at dealing with them, with age. You grow to accept things that mightn’t have been for you. There could have been gigs over the years and I’d have thought I’d be perfect for that role and the powers that be wouldn’t agree and it passes you by, but with hindsight, you learn they were right. I could have been too young for it, it mightn’t have been a good fit for me, my presenting style didn’t work for them etc. It can sometimes feel personal, it can be hard to take but you develop a thicker skin over the years. Stopping and having the little ones gave me time to take stock of how much I’ve achieved, how much I’ve done and the great variety of things I’ve been able to work on. I’m very fortunate.
We hate the phrase striking a balance because it’s next to impossible, but are you happy with how things are now?
I really am. This gig is perfect for me and I do want to make more documentaries, I don’t think that side of me is at rest. I want to be able to do something properly and with everything I have, but I don’t have that right now. The balance is perfect for me now because there’s nothing else I could possibly fit in. Someone asked me recently about regrets, and honestly, I don’t have the bandwidth. I’m very happy with where I am, I’m very fortunate, I’ve two beautiful kids and a wonderful husband, a job I love and I’m very lucky. I don’t take it for granted.
Tell us Sinead, as we wrap this up, and as someone who doesn’t plan for the future, are you just enjoying this wild ride that is life?
I am, I really am! I’m looking forward to the four of us being together properly all of the time rather than all of the bouncing. It’s not forever, it’s just for now and I really look forward to the day that we get to be together. Family is the most important thing!
