Circus career full of twists and turns

A self-taught contortionist who pursued his dream of joining the circus is wowing audiences across the country.

Darragh Merritt, 18, from Limerick, says life on the road is everything he hoped for but it was a chance encounter with a Cork mentor that gave him his big break.

When mentor and presenter John Creedon chose the teenager among his final eight contestants for RTE’s All Ireland Talent Show in 2010, everyone thought Darragh was crazy to choose contortion as a career.