Deirdre O'Reilly's Art Exhibition: 'It's All About the Now'

There’s no room for pity in Deirdre O’Reilly’s life. Just the mention of the word, or the suggestion that perhaps she is tempted to sometimes feel sorry for herself, or be angry for what happened to her, and her hand is straight up to protest that’s not how she feels, not even for a minute. The well-known Bandon journalist with the Evening Echo suffered a catastrophic stroke just before Christmas in 2013, and initially her family was told not to hold out much hope for her survival. With her trademark grit and determination – her family call it stubbornness – Deirdre got back on her feet, but didn’t regain the ability to speak more than a few words, read or write. For someone who made her living from words, that was a tough blow. Deirdre was a journalist with the Echo at the time of her stroke, and previously worked with C103fm. There’s not many prominent people in Cork she hadn’t spoken to at one stage or another, and everyone who knows her knows how she loved to talk! She was also very involved in amateur dramatics and was well known on the All Ireland drama festival circuit. A mum-of-two, she led a busy life, until December 22, 2013 when she had her devastating stroke aged 43, and for a time it looked like she would need 24-hour care, and the use of a wheelchair. Deirdre was left paralysed on her right side, and spent around six months in CUH, before being transferred to the national rehabilitation hospital in Dun Laoghaire for several months further treatment, followed by a stay in Farranlea nursing home in Cork. “A stand-out moment for me, and I still remember it clearly to this day, is when I went with Dee to visit another nursing home to see what her next options were,” said her brother, Liam. “She was still mainly using a wheelchair at that stage, and she just looked around and looked back at me, and I could tell straight away by her face that she wanted out of there.” Her daughters Maggie and Hannah were just aged four and five when the stroke occurred, and they were what got Deirdre back on her feet, back behind the wheel, and back home to Bandon. And crucial to making this happen was the outpouring of support from the people of her home town and beyond, said Liam. A fundraising campaign launched by her friends and family raised €180,000 to help cover costs associated with her changed circumstances, and Liam emphasised how ‘incredible’ the people of Bandon were. Among the many events held was a sell-out concert in City Hall featuring some of Cork’s best known performers. The massive response to the campaign was a reflection of the high regard Deirdre is held in, throughout West Cork. While at The Echo, she had spearheaded fundraising campaigns that raised more than €1m for several worthwhile charities. “What goes around comes around,” said Liam. “She helped so many people and they wanted to give something back to her.” Now, 13 years on, in a twist that no-one expected, least of all Deirdre, her first art exhibition is on show in the Grey Heron Bandon this month. With no previous experience in art, she turned to painting as part of her rehabilitation, guided and encouraged by artist John Jermyn, based in Fennell’s Bay, and encouraged by her personal trainer Seán O’Leary. Deirdre rolls her eyes and laughs, almost in embarrassment, when she’s described as an artist! She’s pragmatic and doesn’t see it as a way of communicating or reinventing herself. She simply says it makes her feel calm, and it’s something to do for herself. Deirdre’s stroke resulted in an aphasia, a language disorder that impairs speaking, understanding, reading, and writing, but not intelligence. She has learned how to have her voice heard, even if at times it can be slow and frustrating – but she won’t have words put in her mouth. It helps that text messages can be converted to voice messages and phone calls to family and friends are always done on facetime. She has a part-time personal assistant, fellow Bandonian Geraldine Larkin – Liam describes her as Dee’s guardian angel. They have been working together since 2014 and know each other inside out. They both agree that people assume that because she can’t speak, she can’t think for herself, and that there’s a long way to go before people with a disability feel included in society. Deirdre says sometimes she feels on the outside of certain situations, with some people uncomfortable with her challenges. However, with Deirdre the emphasis is always on the positive, the hand goes up again. She won’t be throwing any pity parties – she hasn’t time! “She won’t even park in a disabled spot,” says Liam. Pity doesn’t come into it for his younger sister, he says. Deirdre nods emphatically: she remembers life before her stroke but she’s made peace with what happened to her and does take strength and comfort from her belief in a greater power, whatever that might be. Liam jumps in: “With Deirdre, it’s all about the ‘now’, not what’s gone already. “It’s all for the love of life, and discovering new things.” Deirdre’s motivation throughout has been her love for her daughters. Maggie (19) is studying nursing, and Hannah (18) is doing her Leaving Cert. She overcame every obstacle for them, and along with the rest of her family, they’re very proud of their mum’s exhibition.