The glamorous Imelda Duffy joins us in the studio for episode #106 of Paddy Holohan’s No Shame Podcast. The Duffy’s name has been associated with the Circus since the 1850’s & the family have been touring Ireland for generations. Imelda is on this weeks podcast reminiscing on some of her fondest memories of growing up on the road.
Imelda reflects on some incredible moments of her circus career, with the majority of her stories ending in laughter. On one particular incident, Imelda recalls the time a fire breather from England, Cilla Birch accidentally set fire to Imelda's father during a show after the ringmaster had requested she leave her glasses off during performance. After that Birch was permitted the use of her glasses during future shows.
Watch Episode #106 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below:
Imelda believes that we as a society have become over protective of the youth & laments the impact smart technology is having on today's children, stating that they have become too dependent on their phones. Commenting on their lack of attention span, Imelda also highlights that it's harder for a ringmaster to be imaginative in his/her delivery as kids will google everything they say. As a consequence it removes an element of the magic from the show.
Imelda does indeed compare the modern day circus to where it's at now. The current Tom Duffy Circus has evolved over the years to include the award winning wheel of death performed by brother duo Tom & Jamie, who are 6th generation Duffy circus. Imelda speaks of her pride watching the current show, stating that it's the cheapest form of high quality live entertainment you can possibly find out there.
The key message from this week's episode is to be appreciative of what you have. Imelda didn't have much growing up in her circus family but she loved every second of it due to the incredible camaraderie she had with her father, brothers & sisters.
Listen to/Download episode #106 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below
There are some fantastic stories on this weeks podcast. Imelda is a special lady, possibly the most stylish guest we've had on the show & the pride she has in her family name is a powerful thing, she truly is the greatest show woman. At a time of year when people realise the importance of family it was particularly special to see her son Christian & grandson Jefferson beaming with pride as Imelda stole the show on this weeks show. If you're looking for a bit of a cheer this cold Tuesday morning then you're in the right place.
The full episode #106 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast is available now across all the usual platforms including Youtube, Spotify & iTunes.
