'Dad was with me more than I thought': Nuala Carey felt late father was with her in Cork

Nuala says grief is not linear but adds she felt comforted thinking his presence was close by while she filmed The Summer Show

Nuala Carey and Derek Money in Kerry, walking the pilgrim path Cosán na Naomh, in The Summer Show on RTE1.

Broadcaster Nuala Carey says she felt her father's presence while filming an episode of her latest series in Cork.

Nuala's dad passed away in 2018 and she said it was a bittersweet moment learning she would be part of the show, and knowing her dad would never see it.

"When I screen-tested it was in Cork, the last day of filming was in Cork and dad was from Cork," she told The Six O'Clock Show.

"We did a day filming in Mount Melleray in Waterford. It's such a serene place and my dad had loved it and had visited there a few times. 

"The priest I met there, Fr. Dennis, turns out he was a from a very small area in Cork, Mourneabbey, near where my dad was from, Lombardstown and they had both gone to the same school, at different times," she said.

"There were a lot of coincidences, I think maybe they weren't. Maybe dad was with me more than I thought, and that has given me great peace."

Nuala explains how grief is not linear. 

"You never get over it, you learn to live with it and it's okay to have a wobble every so often.

I thought it was just nice to think he was somewhere there.

Nuala says "life is for living" and says due to Covid-19 locking us in for two years, she's eager to go places. 

She told presenters Fionnuala Jones and Martin about working on The Summer Show with Derek Mooney.

Nuala says she loved working with Derek. "He's so entertaining and I miss him, don't tell him that!"

When asked if she gets asked about the weather she said "people do talk to me about that a lot." 

"Anyone outside of Dublin wants to talk about the weather, people living in Dublin just want the lotto numbers."

Nuala and Fionnuala also spoke about her time on Charity You're a Star in 2007. 

Nuala laughs that her strategy on the show was to sing iconic songs, so the outfits would help with the performance. 

"I probably didn't sleep for two weeks. I absolutely loved it." 

The Summer Show airs on RTÉ One on Sunday nights at 6.30pm.