Emer McLysaght (born 1980) is an Irish journalist and co-author of the ''Aisling'' series of novels.
Background
McLysaght is from
Kill, County Kildare
Kill () is a village and parish in County Kildare, Ireland near the county's border with Dublin beside the N7. Its population was recorded as 3,348 people in the 2016 census.
Kill is the birthplace of the Fenian John Devoy as well as home to ...
. After secondary school, she attended
Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
, where she studied
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
for a short time. In 2003, she switched courses to a
Higher National Diploma
Higher National Diploma (HND), part of the Higher Nationals suite of qualifications, is an academic higher education qualification in the United Kingdom and various other countries. They were first introduced in England and Wales in 1920 alongsi ...
in
media studies
Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly ...
at
Ballyfermot College of Further Education
Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE; ) is an educational institution in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland, a college of further and higher education.
Management
Ballyfermot College of Further Education is managed by the City of Dubl ...
where she met her friend and future co-author
Sarah Breen
Sarah Breen is an Irish journalist and co-author of the ''Aisling'' series of novels.
Background
Breen is from Borris, County Carlow. After leaving secondary school in 2000, she studied languages at Dublin City University for a year. In 2003, ...
. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in media production from
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its f ...
, obtaining
first class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
. In 2012, McLysaght completed a Master's degree in
international relations
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
, again achieving first class honours. She dedicated her first book to her late father, who died in 2008.
Career
McLysaght began her media career as a newsreader and reporter at Kfm radio station in 2004, moving to
Newstalk
Newstalk (formerly NewsTalk 106) is a national independent radio station in Ireland. It is operated by News 106 Limited, a subsidiary of Bauer Media Audio Ireland, and broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract with the Broadcasting Autho ...
radio for a brief period in 2006. Later in 2006, she moved to Phantom 105.2 where she was news editor for 4 years. She has also worked as a freelance journalist for the
Business Post
The ''Business Post'' (formerly ''The Sunday Business Post'') is a Sunday newspaper distributed nationally in Ireland and an online publication. It is focused mainly on business and financial issues in Ireland.
Founding to Irish financial crisi ...
, the
Leinster Leader
The ''Leinster Leader'' is a newspaper published in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. Johnston Press bought the Leinster Leader Group in 2005. The Leinster Leader Group, as well as publishing the Naas-based ''Leinster Leader'' also published The ' ...
Today FM
Today FM is an Irish national commercial FM radio station, owned and operated by Bauer Audio Ireland Limited. Broadcasting since 17 March 1997, it broadcasts mostly music, with a daily news and current affairs programme. Today FM holds a lic ...
. In 2011, she joined
TheJournal.ie
''TheJournal.ie'' is an internet publication in Ireland. It was a mixture of original and aggregated content, before moving to entirely original content. The website was founded in early 2010.
It was edited by Jennifer O'Connell in 2010–2011, ...
before being promoted to deputy editor at TheDailyEdge.ie in 2013 and editor in 2017. In March 2017, McLysaght left her editorial role and became a full-time author. She is a regular columnist for
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
.
''Aisling'' novels
McLysaght and Breen co-created a comedic character named ''Aisling'', establishing a Facebook fan group that grew to more than 45,000 members. As ''Aisling'' gained in popularity they were approached by publishers and decided to write a novel. As of 2021, the series consists of four books, with a further final book planned. The first three books were bestsellers and sold over 300,000 copies. They are published by Gill Books and
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.
Personal life
McLysaght has spoken publicly about her mental health and use of counselling. On
The Ryan Tubridy Show
''The Ryan Tubridy Show'' is a talk radio show, presented by Ryan Tubridy each weekday morning on RTÉ Radio 1 from 9am to 10am, from September 2015 to present.
Ryan rejoined the station after five years with RTÉ 2fm presenting '' Tubridy''; he ...
she discussed her experiences dealing with an
eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...
which began when she was a teenager. She underwent treatment as an in-patient at St Patrick's psychiatric hospital in Dublin from January to March 2020.
Awards
* 2019
Irish Book Awards
The Irish Book Awards are Irish literary awards given annually to books and authors in various categories. In 2018 An Post took over sponsorship of the awards from Bord Gais Energy. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. ...
Popular Fiction Book of the Year – ''Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling''
* 2018 Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year – ''The Importance of Being Aisling''
*2021 Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year – ''Aisling and the City''
Bibliography
* ''Aisling and The City'' (2021)
* ''Once, Twice, Three Times An Aisling'' (2019)
* ''The Importance of Being Aisling'' (2019)
* ''Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling'' (2017)