'Nothing to lose and nothing to prove': Aoife Dunne on how losing her mother shaped her future

Personal tragedy and self-doubt almost robbed Aoife Dunne of her childhood dream, but she overcame her fears and discovered a new side to herself on stage, writes Gemma Fullam

Comedian Aoife Dunne: "I approached it all with that level of fun and curiosity, which isn’t me; I’m an overthinker, I have ADHD, I’m extremely anxious. It was just this newfound confidence and a real fuck it attitude of ‘yeah, let’s see’.” Picture: 

In December 2010, as Ireland was blanketed in snow, 23-year-old Aoife Dunne was backpacking in South America. She was on a bus heading to Bolivia when her mobile rang. 

Expecting her mother, she answered with a cheery “Hi mom!”, only to hear the voice of a family friend who had devastating news to impart: “Your mom’s dead.”