As I got older, I didn’t mind walking to or from school. I lived in Ennis town in County Clare and getting from place to place by foot wasn’t difficult, the only thing that could make it less enjoyable was the harsh winter weather.
Once I got past the front of our house, the route to my primary school was lined with rows of brown houses, a large greenery near a small body of water, it was comforting to see. If it was the start of the school year, the trees along the road displayed vibrant shades of orange and gold leaves that would later fall off their branches. I enjoyed making note of the differences in nature, it made the short daily journey entertaining to my then, easily amused young mind!
Zainab Boladale is a Journalist, TV Presenter and Public Speaker. She was born in Nigeria and raised in Co.Clare. In 2017, she became known as the first black woman to work on any Irish TV News station. Through her work, she has been bringing Irish viewers personal stories of resilience, highlighting talented young Irish people and showcasing events from around the country.
On behalf of the Museum of Childhood Ireland and Robert Burns, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our wonderful participants for their time and their stories. We are thrilled to be presenting this project and we hope you will enjoy following along with us in the coming weeks.
Have a story on this topic and want to get involved? Contact us on our social media sites, or email us at cbrowne@museumofchildhood.ie – we would love to hear from you!