Ladies Sport in the Irish Media: 20×20 Campaign

Over the past few weekends, and of course the next couple of weekends to come, we have been lucky enough to see some fantastic displays of Gaelic Football and Hurling on our National broadcaster RTÉ and of course, the newest addition, Sky Sports. 

However, there’s not a sign of a ladies GAA game to be shown.

A campaign presented by the Federation of Irish Sport is on a mission to create a change in the Irish public and media’s perception of women’s sport. 

The 20X20 campaign is calling on the Irish public to get behind women’s sport to increase media coverage, boost match attendance and to grow female involvement in sport by 20% at the end of 2020. 

Since the start of this campaign, people have been sharing their support on social media by using the hashtags #20X20 and #ShowYourStripes. With over 8,000 followers on Instagram, it is clear that the Irish public are getting behind the drive to end the gender bias which is presented in female sports in Ireland.

But, why do we need to campaign for this equality?

Large international companies such as AIG, Investec, Lidl and KPMG are regularly and actively showing their support for ladies sport.

With AIG as the official sponsor for Dublin GAA, they provided all of the Dublin teams with new, limited edition jerseys for a select number of games over the summer with the 20X20 logo as the main feature.

This was a major boost for the campaign with the logo being shown a number of times on National television. The ladies footballers wore the limited edition jersey against Waterford in the All-Ireland Senior Championship on July 13th.

The Dublin Senior footballers also wore the jersey on July 13 during their All-Ireland SFC Quarter-final Group Phase 1 against Cork and the camogie team sported the jersey on July 20 during their All-Ireland Senior Championships Group 2 match against Clare at home.

Another huge moment for the 20X20 movement was the 20X20 banner which was proudly displayed in Croke Park recently before the All-Ireland Semi Final between Dublin and Mayo. However, the 20X20 campaign isn’t the only major player in the efforts to support ladies sport, well GAA in particular.

From the beginning of this campaign, it has been amazing to see National broadcasters and online media such as RTÉ Sport, Off The Ball (Newstalk), Sports JOE and HER.ie show their support for ladies sport in Ireland. 

However, they are our “National Broadcaster”, and surely they have an obligation to fill by providing their support and showing equality to ladies sport and GAA in general.

In my opinion, the real champion supporters of this campaign are the smaller club and county channels such as the “WeAreMeath” and “TalkAGoodGame” podcasts and the Hogan Stand social media accounts. 

Looking back at some of the recent phenomenal display of GAA, from both club and inter county championship, both men and women’s games were equally broadcast and commented on. TINY background teams (no more than four people) are able to commentate and share results and opinions from almost every game which took place in the Meath Football Championship over the weekend. Surely this is a step in the right direction to gain the credit and support which is well and truly deserved in ladies sport in Ireland. 

In 2015, Lidl commenced a three year partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).

A men’s Gaelic Football or Hurling Championship final sees Croke Park at capacity and typically receives 1.3 million TV viewers. It is hugely visible through multiple sponsorships and advertising.

Ladies Gaelic Football enjoyed no such support. It was largely not televised and fan turnout is significantly lower (under 30,000 at Championship Final- just about filled the lower tier of the stand).

Although the Lidl campaign was to primarily lead to more sponsorship for ladies teams, when working hand in hand with the 20X20 campaign, they have drastically changed the opinion of the Irish public towards ladies sports by achieving more sponsorship, media coverage, social media “chat” and attendance at games.  

However, even though a lot has changed in ladies sport, there is still a lot to be done.

To see more ladies games covered on RTÉ would be the ultimate goal rather than just on TG4, but the media is slowly but surely showing more support for ladies sport, be it through smaller, local club podcasts to larger online and national media outlets.

Keep fighting for ladies sports and #ShowYourStripes!

Abigail 

Abigail Shaw is a PR Executive with Fuzion Communications, a Marketing, PR , Graphic Design and Digital Marketing agency with offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland

 

 

Fuzion Design and The Importance of a Great Soundtrack

A classic tune may be something most of us can agree on but as much as we have in common, we all have different tastes and different ways of selecting our music.

I spent years building up an extensive music library and had a well-honed recommendation algorithm through Apple, to feed me exactly the tunes I like. I had always had an aversion to radio – partly the advertising, partly an avoidance of what was “popular”.

So, when I heard I was going to be part of the Fuzion Graphic Design team I only had one worry. This wasn’t to do with any aspect of the role, as I was over the moon with that, it was because I knew the Fuzion design department work was accompanied by the dubious melody of a radio.

I couldn’t imagine how anyone could have that racket on and get any work done, because in my book good music leads to great focus as every designer knows, so the opposite must also be true!

I needn’t have worried!!

Very shortly into my first week, I discovered the advantages of a carefully curated up-to-date playlist.

BBC 6 Music is the channel of choice, the chatter is smart, the music is excellent and the ads non-existent.

Within weeks my own library, which was stagnating around 1998, was refreshed with The Knife, Pigs (x7), Oh Sees, Mattiel, The Comet is Coming and the slightly “pretendy” but brilliantly loud Dublin band, Fontaines DC (Coley knows all the words!!).

All of this new music led to some greatly refreshed recommendations too.

It pays to have an open mind and to remember that a recommendation algorithm is only as good as the information you feed it. Read Hannah Fry’s excellent Hello World for more on that.

Sure, we still go on archaeological digs through Greg’s spare circa-2004 iPod from time to time, but when we strike gold there, it takes hours off the day. A good soundtrack allows us to focus on moving from job to job, designing everything from visual identities to web sites, from large social media campaigns to exhibition materials.

With a good soundtrack we can improve our productivity, better our mood and measure our day on the off-beat, to really #WinHappy.

..I get extra brownie points for typing that!!

Mark

Mark Kenny is part of the Graphic Design Department in Fuzion Communications, who have offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland

Consumer Branding and JK Rowling

As I sit at home on a snow day working like many others across the country, which is all made possible by the glorious Google Drive, I started wondering about what my next blog should be about – something riveting, meaningful and life-changing?

But instead I decided to write about the fact that I was obviously unaware of two things that other people seem to have already known, and I’m going to use those things to talk about what we do for our clients.

For instance, did you know that:

1 – Britney Spears has subliminal messaging in her lyrics – GENIUS!

2 – JK Rowling is actually Robert Galbraith?

Well I didn’t, and the fact that I didn’t know is probably the mind-blowing part.

Also, if you are not watching the TV series BBC’s Strike (which is based on the books) you need to.

Knowing the Britney fact has now altered part of my youth and I wish I could go back to that time to see what this would have meant to me then and if it would have made a difference?!

Britney was and still is so influential, but I’m sure it would have made for an epic OMG conversation between friends!

The second mind-blowing fact is one that I feel is a reflection of what so many of us would like to do – trying something new and not being held to a certain level of expectation, which is the whole reason JK Rowling chose to write a series of crime novels under a fictitious name.

She wanted to begin a new writing career in a new genre and to release her crime novels to a neutral audience, free of expectation or hype.

Consumers can see examples of this on a daily basis with “Umbrella Brands”.

This is where a big brand buys another brand or launches a similar product under a different brand name, some of which fall into the affordable price range.

This happens so often in the beauty industry and it is why there are so many “dupes” of different products or cheaper alternatives.

L’Oréal do this very well with a portfolio of international brands such as NYX, Maybelline, Essie and Garnier to name a few – Full list here: www.loreal.com/brand

An Irish brand that has done this very well is Bellamianta, the brain child of Linda Stinson and Lisa McDermott. Last year we saw these two amazing business minds launch Iconic Bronze, a more affordable tanning product, less than three years after the launch of Bellamianta.

 

With the help of their Irish brand ambassadors, Jade and Laura Mullett, this tan became so sought after than it made its way onto the shelves of Primark.

In communications we encourage our clients to think outside the box and try new things.

Whether that is how we launch a new product or campaign, the way we plan on revealing new company branding or working with a brand ambassador for the first time, or it could even be with a social media strategy and how to reach new audiences.

At Fuzion, when we meet a client for the first time it is important that we get to know them and have a clear understanding of what they do and what their objectives are.

From here, as a team, we put our heads together using the many years of experience we have to generate concepts and formulate a strategic plan that will work to the client’s benefit, delivering consistent and cohesive messaging that will help them get noticed and make an impact in a crowded market.

Our creative design team is also on hand to develop outstanding, eye catching and conversation starting designs that will leave the target audience remembering your brand.

Maybe we can help you to be like Britney or JK?!

Arlene

Arlene Foy is an Account Manager with Fuzion Communications, a full service agency who have offices in Dublin and Cork.

 

“The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.”

Nearly two weeks we had a fantastic night at the highly anticipated launch of the iconic Oyster Tavern, in Cork, just alongside the just as iconic, English Market. The launch welcomed a sea of famous faces and the ‘who’s who’ of the Irish social scene and sports world descended on Patrick Street to toast the new bar.

Stars such as Pippa O’Connor and her husband Brian Ormond and rugby legend,  Peter O’Mahony all donned the red carpet on the night and enjoyed an evening full of surprises as the new Oyster Tavern was finally revealed after a €1.5 million makeover.

However behind every fantastic event is a truck load of hard work, which at the time can be stressful and overwhelming but when it pays off, it is so worth it.

The last two/three weeks in the lead up to the highly successful event there was a huge amount of organisation and to-do lists to be completed and it meant that it was all hands on deck in the lead up to the event and on the night.

I really really enjoyed working on the event with the Oyster Tavern team (what a great team of people) but I couldn’t have done it without the help of my own Fuzion team.

We do event management day in, day out, from large scale high profile events such as the launch of The Oyster Tavern, the launch of One Albert Quay, the launch of Dunnes Stores, Simply Better Cook with Neven range and the launch of Nano Nagle Place to smaller scale ones such as the Summer Food & Craft Fair in Manor West Shopping Centre & Retail Park and the Official Public Dedication of the Kindred Spirits memorial with the Choctaw Nation.

In order for these events to run smoothly there is normally an account manager who takes the lead (which in this case was me) but we do depend heavily on the rest of the team to jump in when necessary and I have to say the team here at Fuzion had my back every step of the way with this launch.

They helped with invites, planning, media, and event management not to mention endless cups of tea, and on the night they came out in force to support the event and support me with any help I needed.

It was a night I felt proud to be part of such a solid and fun team.

“The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.” Phil Jackson

Edel

Edel Cox is a PR Account Manager with Fuzion Communications who are a Marketing, PR and Graphic Design firm with offices in Dublin and Cork

“I don’t want publicity this time but next time, yes… “

Looking at the media coverage of the recent nuptials of one of golf’s hottest properties Rory McIlroy, something struck me as odd, well less odd than the reported price tag of over half a million Euro spent on it, but still strange nonetheless.

There were no photos of it. The lavish four-day wedding was veiled in such secrecy that very few details have been or could be made public.

Reportedly, some of the steps the McIlroy’s went to stop leaks were anti-drone technology to stop them flying overhead and taking photos, people working at the event had to check in their phones and guests had to leave their mobile phones behind entirely, just in case one of them decided to ‘check in’ to the wedding of the decade or post a photo.

This all begs the question, where does the public interest start and finish when it comes to celebrities?

Rory for example, has sponsorship deals with Omega, Bose and has just signed a new 10 year deal with Nike valued at around €100 million. Publicising these, Rory can be seen sporting the new exclusive Omega watch and on the course, he is branded from head to toe in the newest Nike gear and is all too happy to pose for the cameras while wearing them.

To protect the couple, there was reportedly three levels of security around the grounds of the beautiful Ashford Castle and McIlroy’s management team worked overtime to ensure that the wedding details remained top secret from the large media entourage that arrived at Cong.

Ashford Castle staff, lauded for their discretion with the hotel’s celebrity clientele, even refused to make any comment on the wedding celebrations.

The phone hacking scandal a number of years ago ignited the question of how far media can go, and the recent demands of €1.5 million in compensation from Prince William over photos taken during a three-day break in a chateau in southern France in 2012, is bringing the topic of invasion of privacy of celebrities to the fore once more.

Prince William expressed his anger at the incident in a statement read to a court in Paris, where six media personnel, including three photographers, are on trial for alleged invasion of privacy.

In McIlroys instance, what would have happened if a ‘lucky’ photographer managed to get a snap of the happy couple in their finery – an invasion of privacy lawsuit?

I’m not saying that prying into the personal lives of public figures is correct or not, the question is, is it right that celebrities can have their cake and eat it too?

Patrick

Patrick Jones is an Account Manager in Dublin with Fuzion Communications, Marketing, PR & Graphic Design 

Body Shaming – Does the media go too far?

Jennifer Aniston made the headlines this week when she blasted the media through a powerful essay on “body shaming” published by the Huffington Post.

In an open letter the former Friends star called out the media for constantly reporting on her figure and pregnancy status. The first line she wrote was “For the record I am not pregnant, what I am is fed up!” a powerful opening line that has made headlines around the world and has made people wake up and ask the question..

Does the media go too far?

A picture of Jennifer Aniston on holiday with her husband Justin Theroux, sporting what can only be described as a small rounded tummy was what prompted the tabloid story in the first place and lead to headlines all over the world which read ‘Finally Jens pregnancy dream comes true’ ‘Aniston Pregnant!’ ‘Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are thrilled to be expecting first child together’ ‘Jennifer Aniston pregnant with miracle baby!’

Picture source – Daily Mail

Jennifer Aniston is known for maintaining a dignified silence when it comes to rumours about herself, she is a very private person and very rarely responds to rumours or the media in general, however this time she has had enough and has decided to call out the media for body shaming women by claiming she is pregnant when she says herself she simply had a burger for lunch:

“I resent being made to feel “less than” because my body is changing and/or I had a burger for lunch and was photographed from a weird angle and therefore deemed one of two things: “pregnant” or “fat.”

The way I am portrayed by the media is simply a reflection of how we see and portray women in general, measured against some warped standard of beauty?

Is she pregnant? Is she eating too much? Has she let herself go? Is her marriage on the rocks because the camera detects some physical imperfection”

Since the publication of Aniston’s essay, females around the world have applauded her and backed her in every way, however on the flip side of this, a debate has since erupted as to whether Aniston has the right to privacy when she puts herself out there as a ‘celebrity’.

This is an ongoing debate where people argue that celebrities crave attention and put themselves out there in order to get press and publicity yet when they get any negative press they pull back and cry out that’s it’s an invasion of their privacy.

So where is the line? When does the media go too far?

This is a hard question to answer and each case is extremely different as you have celebrities like Jennifer Aniston who does not put herself out there for publicity, in fact does everything in her power to keep her personal life private and paid millions for security to make sure her recent wedding photos remained private, versus the fame hungry reality TV stars who are doing all they can to get in front of the camera and get publicity in any way they can.

So when should the media pull back?

Where is the line the media should not cross?

It’s a question you feel won’t ever be answered and will be debated for years to come, however I take my hat off to Jennifer Aniston for raising the issue especially when it comes to body shaming, as it seems these days’ women in the media are either too fat or too thin and simply can’t win!

Where do you stand on the issue?

Edel

Edel Cox is a Senior Account Manager with Fuzion

Fuzion are a Marketing, PR and Graphic Design firm with offices in Dublin and Cork

10 things you’ll see in Ireland in the summer!

Ireland really is the best country in the world when the sun shines. When the sun comes out everyone has a smile on their faces and the craic is 90 as they say.

Here’s why Ireland is so unique – 10 signs of an Irish Summer!

1. Topless men everywhere – The sun only has to threaten to come out in Ireland and men everywhere have their shirts off.

2. Tan Lines – We never learn, every summer you are sure to see people with ridiculous sun burn and horrific tan lines.

3. Queues for 99’s are endless – Irish people tend to gravitate towards their nearest ice cream shop when the sun comes out – a sure sign of an Irish summer is a 99 with a flake!

4. BBQ season – Hail, rain or shine if its summer in Ireland the BBQs come out. We only get a few weeks of “summer” so we have to make use out of the very expensive BBQ we bought, if that means standing under an umbrella while eating your burger, so be it!

5. Down Tools – Let’s face it the good Irish weather doesn’t come around that often so when it does, it’s time to down tools and get to the nearest beer garden ASAP.

6. People complaining about how hot it is – We wait all year for a bit of sun and the minute it comes people start complaining that it’s too hot!

7. Endless chat about the weather – “Is the sun shining where you are?”, “It’s great to have a bit of sun isn’t it”, “enjoy it while it lasts”.

8. Make swimming pools – Paddling pools, bins, buckets, baths etc. You name it anything and everything is turned into a swimming pool when the sun comes out!

9. The fun and banter is in full swing and the beer gardens are packed – Real life and responsibilities don’t seem to matter as holiday mode kicks in

10. Jean Byrne can make or break your day – The RTE weather is a must see. For once the whole family is glued to the TV watching the weather, hanging on every word Jean Byrne says in the hope the sun is going to stay shining!!

Enjoy the summer!!

Edel Cox is a PR Account Manager with Fuzion

Fuzion offer Social Media Consultancy and Training from our offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland

Fan girl

I’ll be the first to admit it. At almost twenty two years old, I am a fangirl!

There, I said it. I’ve been a fangirl for the best part of eight years. It began when I was fourteen, where I was equal parts a Big Brother fan and a Twihard (the most embarrassing fan name ever!!), a die-hard Twilight Saga fan.

Once I had joined Twitter during my Junior Cert, the obsessions took off even further. I connected with people all over the globe who loved the same things as me, something I still do to this day. My friends refused to follow me because these things were all I talked about!

I’ve been through many obsessions. Now, I am happily settled in the K-pop world for almost three years. South Korea and their entertainment industry is my biggest love and passion. But there was two fandoms that really made me the person I am today.

A boy group named The Wanted came into my life in late 2010, when a friend and mutual Twitter follower introduced me to their debut song “All Time Low”.  I was hooked on their every move and every word. My friends and I knew the managers, the live band, the security, even the members’ family and friends were in our following list.

It’s funny to say it, but my life changed after I became a fan. I met some of the best friends in the world at signings, radio stations and freezing our bums off outside hotels. When the band split in 2014, a good thirty of us gathered together at their final Irish concert, all bawling but thankful for the five lads who brought us together. We were – pun intended – glad they came!

We always had issues with their management, however. We always could tell when something wasn’t done right, when they weren’t getting radio play or column inches in the press.

We would take to our Twitters and our Facebooks and we would hassle our followers, family and friends to listen to their songs, to watch their music videos and to buy their albums. We even held flashmobs on Grafton Street, where we made up dances to their songs and blared them from HMV’s speakers. We were crazy but we were undoubtedly passionate.

The same sort of promotions went on for another of my favourite groups, Lawson. We would give out leaflets and busk outside St Stephen’s Green, playing their songs. Both groups took great interest in our work and even today, my friends and I are still on close terms with the members of Lawson, during their hiatus.

A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of my college course in IADT, that partners marketing, accounting and cultural studies with film, theatre and, my first love, music.

I quickly discovered that there are jobs that allow you to promote for a living. As soon as the opportunity came for me to spread my wings and fly into the workplace, I rocketed into research. And with a little help from my glorious personality (I’m modest too!!) I find myself sitting in the Fuzion PR office in Warrington Place, Dublin.

In case you hadn’t guessed, I am the baby of the Fuzion family, finally getting a chance to do what I love in the real world. I’m working as my internship with some absolutely incredible people who are so helpful and fun to be around. Luck is truly on my side with this one and I’m looking forward to what comes my way here in the next four months.

It just goes to show kids, you can find your niche where you least expect it, even in a boyband!

Sarah

Sarah O’Brien is a PR intern with Fuzion PR based in Dublin

Tell Your Story with Integrity and Soul

The odd time, in between watching Kevin McCloud and his Grand Designs and the News, I sneak a peek at Keeping up with the Kardashians just to see what ridiculous subject they are talking about.

The way they seem to leave their whole life open to the public I find often crude, staged and so far from any sense of reality I know or would like to know!

The car crash show is about a blended family with Kris Jenner (The Momanager), her adult children from her first marriage, her (now former) husband, Olympian and great American hero Bruce Jenner, with his kids from his second marriage (the kids from his first marriage had the sense not to get involved with the show) and into the mix Kris and Bruce’s own two young daughters, who have grown up with cameras on them 24 seven.

It’s total drivel and I find it so fake – and just when us voyeurs thought it couldn’t get any more off the wall, Bruce, the all American hero,  announced to the world (via TV of course) that from now on he was a she; Bruce was now Caitlyn and proud to come out of the closet!

Any decent publicist worth their salt would have predicted the death of the programme, with people turning away in their droves from this far fetched, totally manufactured story line.

But you know what…..I think the whole family have handled it (OK there were a few fake tears from the former Mrs Jenner – Kris) with great compassion, honesty and openness.  Most celebrities would have hidden away and licked their wounds, far from the public they once courted.  That’s what I expected.

Not the Kardashians and Jenners!

Coming up trumps is Kim Kardashian and Caitlyn’s youngest girls Kylie and Kendall.  Kim, who got the whole Kardashian merry-go-round going with her infamous sex tape is coming across as supportive, understanding and so articulate and honest.  I’m seriously impressed and I never, ever thought I would say that about a Kardashian!

The two  youngest girls, still in their teens and living in such a high beam spotlight, obviously are having more trouble with it, but they are communicating in such a dignified way on TV and on their social media pages and it’s clear that they remain proud of their dad.

And there is a lot to be proud of.  Bruce/Caitlyn is out there telling her story with integrity and soul.  She is putting her hands up to the past failings as a father and a husband and she has sought and is finding redemption through her coming out.  The relief is all over her much surgically manipulated face.

Last night America showed its acceptance by awarding her the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs, an award presented annually to individuals, usually high profile sporting personalities, whose contributions to society transcend sports.  The respected reporter Diane Sawyer, the last person to interview Bruce as he announced his transition to Caitlyn was was in the crowd, cheering Caitlyn on; her presence at the Awards spoke volumes, supporting Caitlyn and her actions.

But the big thing for me was the presence of all of Caitlyn’s children, step children and his 88 year old mother, up front and centre supporting her.  Caitlyn will be an example to other people who are thinking of making a difficult transition – and her family I have to say I now kinda respect a little!

It just makes me think of the odd client we have, who hesitate about telling their own story – nothing in anyway intrusive like the Kardashians, just their business story.

They really need to jump over the fear hurdle and just go for it. They have nothing to fear if they are honest and communicate with soul and integrity.  As long as this can be demonstrated people will want to connect with them and their businesses.  That is what PR is for –  It helps clients to tell the story of their business and allows them to connect with people.

Don’t shy away from any opportunity that could benefit your business.

Don’t think – what if; I shouldn’t; what would my peers think?  Because if you don’t take up the opportunities to tell your own unique story, you can be sure that your competitors are talking to us or agencies like us (but obviously not as great as us!) without that fear of telling their story.

Be brave, be honest, have soul and command your own airwaves – and if you need some help with that, you know where we are …

Deirdre Waldron is the founding partner of Fuzion

Fuzion are a Marketing, PR and Graphic Design firm with offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland

 

 

Five things my mum taught me about business and life!

My mum at 18

I was feeling a little lonely last week as it was the 5th anniversary of my mum passing.  My mum, Joan Waldron was the first female entrepreneur I came in contact with and the older I get the more I appreciate her work ethic, her tenacity and her passion for business.  

Here is what she taught me, that has helped me become a better business person:-

Lesson No 1: Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Around 1969 my mum and dad moved to Tralee after their business went bust in Mallow.  Mum would have been In her late 30’s with five kids under the age of 13, with no job and no real prospects, apart from the most tenacious approach to business I have ever come across.

Dad wasn’t working and they were both still licking their wounds from the failure of their business, but she knew she couldn’t wallow for long, knowing she had seven hungry mouths to feed.  In the town on Castle Street she spotted a grotty, near closed down chip shop.

Even though she had no money, she knocked on the door of the house nextdoor to see what the story was about the place, found out that they were the owners and on the spot made a sweetheart of a deal to take over the business – including negotiating for a ton of potatoes thrown in on the deal for good measure!!!

With absolutely no funds, wearing her only “good” suit she visited the bank manager (a family friend) who gave her a small collateral free business loan.  (Ah, the good old days of banking!!!)

Dad had thought she had lost the plot by opening a chip shop and I think he thought by discouraging her, she would come up with a plan B.  She didn’t.  She just rolled up the sleeves, negotiating with tradesmen and suppliers to make the place respectable,

The opening day, came, dad still refused to entertain the notion, so she went off and she opened on her own.  Within half an hour, dad same in, said nothing, just rolled up his sleeves, went behind the counter and started serving up the chips!!!  And he remained by her side in the various businesses that they had until he passed away in 1991.

Mum and dad would always say they never made more money than they did in that little chip shop!  Mum spotted an opportunity, it was really tough going, but it made her stronger and even brought herself and dad closer.

Lesson No 2: The value of networking

Mum and dad thrived in Tralee, moving from the little chip shop to “The Central Grill” one of the first restaurants in Tralee in the early 1970’s on a prime corner location in the centre of town and in 1984 bought a little hotel in Fenit, which had an excellent restaurant and bar trade.

Mum and dad didn’t do much advertising, had never heard of PR, but were brilliant at promoting their business through networking with the local business community and people.

My mum joined the local Bridge Club; after a few years she became President of the local Soroptimist Club and networked to an inch of her life!  She encouraged my dad to join the local Rotary club and he went on to be local President of that organisation the same year she was President of the Soroptimists.

I swear Frank Underwood would have been very proud of her – in a positive way!!!.

She organised meetings on our premises, held bridge parties, where members could sample the food and get into the habit of considering our restaurant for any family or business events.  The Central Grill and later on the Lighthouse in Fenit became one of the leading places for family occasions and a lot of that was down to my mum’s ethos of networking and using her personal contacts to bring in more business.

Back then it’s the same as it is now – people like to deal with people and the best way to close a deal is the same and its to engage with a client or prospect on a one to one basis.  My mum taught me that.

Lesson No 3: Make sure they leave with a smile on their face

Growing up in the hospitality sector gives you great abilities around reading people – the good tippers, the stingy people who would order hot water and bring their own tea bag (seriously!), the couple who were on a first date or in the middle of a fight; the people who you could tell even by the way they walked in the door whether they were going to be nice or difficult.

We could also always tell a bluffer, where people would try anything to get out of paying for a meal. Mum taught us how important it was to listen to our customers complaints and handle them all with courtesy and if at all possible make sure they left feeling that their grievance was heard and dealt with.

She would say, if they have a good experience they will tell two or three people but if they went out feeling negative (even when at times we knew they were in the wrong), they would tell 100 people!  She always had the ethos, that the customer was always right – even when she knew they were in the wrong!!!

Mum and Dad by the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Lesson No 4: Work hard but play hard!

My mum always loved to throw a great party and she loved her holidays with my dad – the good times balanced the times when it was heads down, working at top gear.  They both were two of the hardest workers I have ever known – I think the only one that could beat them is my husband Greg!

During high season they worked seven days a week, from 8am until after 9pm, but then they made sure to treat themselves to really nice holidays in far flung places.  They also had nice weekend breaks together, were great customers in other restaurants in town and just loved having people over for parties and dinners.

Mum very much taught me that if it is all about work, it’s not success.

That if you work hard, it’s important to spend some of that hard earned money creating lasting happy memories and treating yourself to nice things. Mum had lots of happy memories of herself and dad in Rome, travelling along the Amalfi Coast, having a glass of wine in St Mark’s Square in Venice, visiting Russia when very few Europeans were going there.

I must get my love of Italy from her – you can’t keep me away from the place!

No matter what business was like during the turmoil of the last few years I always made sure Greg and I had some downtime together, with some sun on our faces for a week or two.  There are always a million reasons why we shouldn’t take the break from our busy business – but we have gathered an amazing Fuzion family around us who watch our back and our business when we are away and we come back with a renewed sense of vigour for our business, with fresh ideas and energy.

Mum with one of her greatest friends – and bridge buddy – Monica Kelly

Lesson No 5: Mind your friends, they will become family

Mum had some strong friendships going back decades to when she first came to Tralee including, Maureen Deane, Monica Kelly, Phyllis O’Sullivan and Noreen O’Sullivan.  Her friends loved her and our restaurant on Castle Street was the meeting point for all her buddies.

Even though she was very busy she always made time for her friends and they always knew they could count on her for a chat, a piece of advice or just an ear to listen.

We would come home from school and there she would be in the middle of them, at table one in the right hand corner of our restaurant, hatching some plan or just shooting the breeze.  We would roll our eyes up to heaven and disappear to our home upstairs, knowing that we wouldn’t get any attention from her until her friends had left.

She loved bridge and loved her weekly bridge club.  I remember once asking her not to go to the club and stay home with us as I probably had a bad day at school or something.  She explained to me that she had committed to go; that she would be letting her friend down who she was paired with for bridge that night.

She told me that it was so important to cherish and respect your friends; that they provided  support and balance to her life and that when the chips are down and when all us kids had left the nest, they would still be around.

It was so true; her five kids very soon got on with our own lives, but she still had her friends, her bridge and her Soroptimist club and later the Probus club.  And those same friends formed her guard of honour at her funeral.  She was so right, they were there for her, right up to the very end!

I always remember what my mum said and really cherish my friends. The older I get the closer I get to my friends and know that I will have most of them in my life forever. We don’t live in each other’s pockets, but they know I’m there for them if they need anything as they are for me – they are my family every bit as much as my siblings are.

Deirdre Waldron is the founding partner of Fuzion

Fuzion are a Marketing, PR and Graphic Design firm with offices in Cork and Dublin, Ireland