A mum at 18, a mum at 38: How motherhood was different for us

Comedian Emma Doran and actress Rachel Sarah Murphy became mums at different ends of the age spectrum. As Mother's Day nears, they tell Jenny McEntegart about how their experiences shaped their maternal roles

Comedian Emma Doran and her daughter Ella: 'Ella saw everything. She was at my college graduation, she remembers me starting in comedy.' Picture: Moya Nolan

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, when gifts will be lavished on Irish mammies up and down the land. The occasion can also offer us a chance to look beyond the cards and flowers, and consider how each experience of motherhood is unique.

I sat down with comedian Emma Doran and actress Rachel Sarah Murphy, best known for her 16-year stint as Jo Fahey in Fair City, to do just that.