John Blek: It was the newest thing I’d experienced in 38 years, I’d no idea what I was doing

Cork musician John Blek talks to Helen O’Callaghan about the birth of his daughter in November 2024, about the change it brought to his lifestyle — both personally and professionally — and how he has been balancing raising a child with trying to retain key aspects of who he was before she was born

Folk singer and songwriter, John Blek, among his new daughter's baby toys at home in Castletownroche, Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

I finished up touring at the end of 2024, I was taking some time off for my wife and me to get ourselves ready for the arrival of our daughter.

We’d done all the preparations — the hynobirthing, the antenatal classes, all the things they said we should do. The time came around, Ciara went into labour, a 60-hour labour — it was a nervy time.