Mary McEvoy: 'Crying is good, it's like a release valve'

Actress Mary McEvoy opens up about her mental health and how her pet sheep cheer up her day

Mary McEvoy. Pic: Naoise Culhane

MARY McEvoy, often recognised as the star who played Biddy Byrne in the RTÉ series Glenroe, has taken a step back since lockdown to relax and unwind at her farm after a hectic few years touring.

“I do a lot of Pilates because I’m training to be a Pilates tutor, but I also find yoga, reading, putting on the fire in the evenings and watching Netflix very relaxing now.”

Mary has recently partnered with the Vodafone Ireland Foundation to encourage more over-65s to try out their new Hi Digital learning platform aimed at improving digital skills.

She said that a lot of her acting auditions were being done online, and that adjusting to that was sometimes difficult. “I was very embarrassed pretending to know when someone asked, ‘what’s your search engine?’ and I had absolutely no clue, it was so confusing.

“It’s not because there’s something wrong with you, we all just need to learn one step at a time and we need to help older people not feel so isolated,” she says.

What shape are you in?

I lost four stone, then I gained two stone back in lockdown, but I am holding at the two stone now, but I just said to my body — look I’m going to just give you a bit of a break and I’m going to try and eat good food, which I usually do. I’m also not terribly worried about being too heavy, it’s just that it’s just two extra stone on my knees that I really don’t need. So, what I’m doing now is walking a lot and hoping to enter the mini-marathon soon.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I think I’m pretty good. I had an eating disorder, so I was tormented by it for a very long time. I’ve kind of gotten a handle on it in recent years.

What are your guilty pleasures now?

Watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

What would keep you awake at night?

I get fairly anxious. I went through a period there where I was touring a lot, I think the body just couldn’t cope with stress. And I was waking up at night, my racing heart. That’s kind of gone away quite a bit since I settled down. I’ve gotten better since I tend to think now if that happens, it happens, but it may not happen, and I try to sort of reason with myself. I don’t fret as much as I used to.

What’s your favourite smell?

The countryside in May when all the blossoms are coming out. Like lilac, hawthorn and all that lovely green, sweet smells you get.

When was the last time you cried?

I cry quite a lot. I work on my mental health, so crying is good. It’s like a release valve.

What traits do you least like in others?

Cruelty. I mean, that’s a no brainer. I usually say keep your own side of the street clean.

What kind of traits do you least like about yourself?

Procrastination. I tend to sit on my hands a bit.

Do you pray?

Yes. I pray twice daily, It’s my absolute life raft.

What would cheer up your day?

My sheep, they’re all pets and they’re so friendly. They’re just like walking, talking teddy bears. Also, when my fella comes down and we have our cup of coffee together, that’s lovely too. I’m always up early and he, being a musician, gets up later but he makes coffee for me and we sit together.

Has climate change impacted how you live?

I’ve always been very earth-conscious. I remember crying as a child when I’d see a tree cut down or become upset about hedges being taken out. I’ve planted a lot of woodland and I hope to plant more and to live on the land and let it tell me what it wants.

What quote inspires you most?

Be the change you want to see in the world - Gandhi.

Your favourite place in the world?

My own home but I go through periods, I had a Paris period, and then a northern New York period, but at the moment it’s Venice.