Clodagh Finn: A hymn to aunts, unheralded superpowers

These women did incredible things. They worked, they raised families, they challenged the status quo or, better still, they showed us how to make the most of living within it

 John Hume and Marian Finucane with Uel Adair, President ILCU, unveiling a commemorative portrait of the Irish League of Credit Union Irish founders Sean Forde, Nora Herlihy, and Seamus P MacEoin at their office in Dublin. Picture: Collins Photos

If the day ahead looks like it might be a bit boisterous, I slip on my late aunt’s engagement ring for extra strength. I wear it as a reminder of her unflinching support; a tiny piece of discreet armour against the challenges of the rollercoastering day-to-day.

It’s like a hidden super-power. She is no longer here, but the belief she showed in me still courses through my veins. Go on, girl, get out there and do what needs to be done.