My name is Orla Gildea and I live in Leixlip with my husband. I have three grown up children who are making their own way now and so a new chapter begins in my life which I am excited about.
I grew up in Crumlin, Dublin 12 with my family and I have many happy memories of living on Raphoe Road. We had great fun playing with all the other children on the road and in the surrounding fields. As a child my parents were active members of An Óige and they loved the outdoors, so as children we travelled extensively in Ireland, hostelling, camping and staying in caravans. That love of adventure and the outdoors has stayed with me throughout my life. I continue to have many adventures travelling in Ireland and around the world. I am very active and enjoy hiking, cycling, swimming and walking in my local park. The Dingle Peninsula in Kerry is a place I love to return to over and over again. I never tire of it as I believe it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I work as a drama teacher and creative art therapist. I work with children and adults and I love my work because it is so creative, powerful and great fun. I enjoy writing and recently I was able to produce a short film that I co-wrote, thanks to Kildare County Council Art Services.
I really enjoyed being part of Songs of Change, it was an incredibly uplifting experience. Everyone on the course has such a unique story, yet we all shared similar experiences growing up and in our everyday lives. I loved the creative writing prompts we worked on from one workshop to the next. We got the opportunity to share them and there was always a heart-warming discussion with each other on our zoom calls. The whole experience was special and it was lovely way to revisit memories and experiences from the past and present with such wonderful people. Being involved with Songs of Change inspired me to get involved with other creative projects which I am currently enjoying.
Thanks to Veronica, Debra and all in the Civic Theatre.