Days of summer: Stars recall the ups and downs of their first ever jobs

By Ciara McDonnell

Counting cars at an airport roundabout, working as a butler at Bunratty Castle banquets and plastering walls – some of Ireland’s best known personalities recall their first summer jobs.

Rob Heffernan, champion race walker

My Dad was a plasterer, and my brother and I spent every summer working with him while the rest of the family were down in Youghal in the mobile home. Every weekend we’d head down to see them, and it was hard work, let me tell you! I was about 11 when I started labouring for him, and I was small.

I remember coming home in the evening times and being starving – I couldn’t wait for my tea break, I couldn’t wait for my lunch and I definitely couldn’t wait for my dinner!

The first year I worked with my dad I got £7 a week, and the next year I got £30 and by the time I was 13 or 14 I was earning £50 a week. I would hand some money up to my Mam and then I would hide the rest of it under the floorboards in my room, and at the end of that summer I bought myself a bike.

The work was so tough, but I’d still run straight out after eating to play sport or run around with my friends. It definitely helped shape the person I have become today – there was very much a feeling of, ‘yes it’s tough, but the work has to be done’, and that’s how I approach things today.

When I did athletics, working that hard was completely normal to me. When I did Dancing With The Stars, people thought I was mad for training 12 hours a day, and that I’d burn out, because when I was doing athletics I was doing 200k a week, and when I was labouring it was one of the most physical jobs I’ve ever had.

That kind of work ethic was instilled into all of us from a very young age, and that’s why I worked during the summer.

I have four children, and my two eldest Meghan and Cathal are hugely talented and are learning the value of hard work and training. Times are different now, but you always want to give your kids the best, and I hope that we are doing that for ours.

Doireann Garrihy, television and radio presenter

My first summer job was in Doolin, County Clare when I was 16. My dad and his brothers run the boats that go from Doolin to the Aran Islands and my job was to sell the tickets on the pier.

It was a family business, so there was a little more pressure, because if you make a mistake, they are definitely going to tell you about it!

My uncles are great craic and brilliant to work for, but I remember on my first day I was doing a great job, chatting away to the tourists, with my bit of German and French from school and the next thing, my uncles started having an argument in front of me.

I was so nervous about my first day that I started crying and ran out of the office.

I rang my dad and he told me to go back in and show them I had a thick skin, so I took a deep breath and that’s what I did.

I have so many cousins and aunts and uncles in Clare that my summers spent working there are full of great memories.

There was always someone to go out with or to make me dinner or just to have a chat with, so I have great memories of those summers.

In a family business you have to prove yourself, and it definitely helped me to develop the thick skin that I need in my career today. There’s no room for laziness in my family.

My dad said something to me that summer that has always stuck with me, ‘Just remember that in the future when you look back on the work that you’ve done, that you know you did your best at every opportunity.’ That’s how I measure success today.

Dermot and Dave, Today FM

Dave: I went out to Dublin Airport and I got a clicker that counts people and was told to stand at a roundabout and count the cars that went into the car park for eight hours. I was 16 at the time. I did that for three whole months – rain or shine for an Irish summer, counting cars. I’ll be honest with you, after the first day myself and the guy whose job it was to count the cars going out of the car park decided to click the same amount of times and let that be that.

The good thing was that my mum worked at the airport, so I was able to get a lift to and from work with her. The airport canteen was a major highlight.

I remember being able to get a proper big meal for hardly any money, because it was subsidised.

Kids have everything these days and no concept of money so my kids will be straight out to get terrible jobs the minute they are old enough!

Dermot: I worked in a factory in the north of France that made orthopedic implants, like hips and knees and elbows and things. My job was to count bags of orthopedic screws and the best thing about it was, they had already been counted – I was double-checking.

I was about 19 and was travelling with my girlfriend and we lived in a hostel that was infested with fleas. U2’s Zooropa was out at the time and every time I hear it I start scratching and immediately counting to 100, because there were one hundred screws in each bag. My job did serve a purpose though, because I did locate one bag that had 101 screws during that summer – I definitely prevented a major catastrophe.

Deric Ó hArtagáin, television presenter

I worked as a butler at the Bunratty Castle banquets down in County Clare for five seasons. I sacrificed so many nights out with the lads and instead spent my time classical training for years with renowned vocal coach Mary Fullam in Limerick. When the position became available, she encouraged me to go for the audition and I passed with flying colours. I haven’t looked back since.

Performing in front of a live audience of over 250 people per night was very daunting at first; but it was a great confidence builder and my first steps into the entertainment industry.

I made incredible lasting friendships during my time there. Bunratty Castle is a very unique workplace environment and I’m still in touch with many of my former talented colleagues. Many have gone on to become quite successful artists and musicians in their own right so it was an honour to have worked with such a talented team.

The job was definitely a springboard into my TV career. I’m following in the footsteps of some great Irish talent including actor Jim Bartley who plays Bella in Fair City and RTÉ presenter Eileen Whelan. We all still meet up every Christmas at a special banquet – I will always look at my time there with fond memories.