This Much I Know: Lorraine Keane

 Lorraine Keane  Picture: Anthony Woods

I come from a large family and I have five sisters and one brother. We are all very outgoing and chatty. My father is a professional full-time musician and we grew up surrounded by music and we are all musical. We are also very close in age so we were compared to the Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music growing up — just without the matching clothes made out of curtains!

My parents say I came out talking and I haven’t shut up since so I suppose the fact that I made a career out of it is pretty handy! I was also never camera shy. There isn’t one frame of cine camera video footage of us all growing up where I don’t shimmy across the screen pulling focus from whoever was supposed to be the focus... cheesy grins and show hands at the ready!  My earliest memory is singing Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree for my grandad every Sunday in my grandparents' house.  

The greatest challenge I have faced is climbing the five highest peaks in Ireland and Britain in 24 hours for the charity Aware. We climbed Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in England, Carrauntoohil in Kerry, Ben Nevis in Scotland and Slieve Donard in County Down. We were pushed to our physical and mental limits over those two days.

I am extremely proud of my fundraising initiative Fashion Relief and Fashion Relief TV.

It started out as live events, where you could purchase preloved items from some of Ireland’s most stylish women and the proceeds would go to charity. We had two years of live events — in the RDS, in Galway, Cork, Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin.
Since March, of course, we have had to pivot. Now, we have only events showcasing beautiful pre-loved and brand new pieces as well as from designers and boutiques all over Ireland, but you’re able to click on the items you love and buy them as the platform works as an online shopping channel too. It’s brilliant.

We have collectively raised over €300,000 in just over two years and have been nominated for three international awards this year. We have been awarded one of those so far, for innovation in the time of Covid.

Lorraine Keane. Picture: Kieran Harnett

I like to think of myself as a positive person. I always look for the silver lining.

When in doubt or in need of advice, I turn to Louis Latour (wine). Joking! I turn to my Mum, always.

I am proud — like most parents are — of people telling me that my children are good people. I think every parent wants to hear this, and it warms my heart every time. I would like to think that I have passed on the importance of kindness to them, and that generosity is always the best place to start.

The advice I take to heart every day is to be grateful. Especially these days. Count your blessings, and even though it’s hard sometimes, don’t sweat the small stuff!

I think I’m good at connecting people and championing them. I think that it’s a common trait in Irish people.

And also, generosity, We all know how generous Irish people are but I am genuinely surprised by just how many people are willing to give their time and energy to charity when asked.

I have a wonderful life, and I am extremely grateful for it. When I look back at it, and wonder where I might have ended up, I think that my career could have taken me to London or New York, where I would have gone on the career treadmill and ended up with a more financially secure but ultimately, a single life. 

This is not something I crave even for an instant. I have always been ambitious, but have never seriously considered sacrificing having a family for my career. I was born maternal; being a mother is my favourite thing to do, and the thing I am best at. I was never going to sacrifice that — I couldn't imagine my life without my family. I knew that my husband Peter [Devlin] was The One the first time we kissed. 

In life, I rarely take the easy road — the road less travelled — and that has made all the difference to how happy and content I am today. 

• Lorraine Keane’s Fashion Relief with Oxfam will open a pop-up shop Frascati Centre, Blackrock on December 9. You can shop the looks at her sustainable fashion fundraiser Fashion Relief TV with Axonista on FashionRelief.ie where you'll find a new show and new collection every Friday at 7pm.