Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt 2024

You keep me hangin’ on…

s January 1st rolls around once more, we like to hear from those Greystonians who are very, very thankful for what the past year has brought them.

From certifiable, fully-framed, gold medal success to just the joy of living a good life, it offers a springboard of optimism for the months ahead.

And might just inspire even the most miserable git to set out with a mission to have a very good year.

So, over to this year’s line-up of grinning goons…

Fiona Roche Drug Dealer
It’s been fifty years since my parents opened the first pharmacy here in Blacklion, way back in January 1974. A lifelong dream realised and continuing the legacy of Dad’s uncles, who had pharmacies in Dublin.

I believe that the secret to success is to have a compassionate and fun team! 2024 has been a mix of highs and lows as we welcomed new babies (some thanks to the wonders of IVF, the journey of love), and the sadness of losing lovely people to illness and tragedy as well as some who had lived glorious long lives!

The day-to-day lives of our lovely community are enriched by where we live – the positive energy we get from being by the sea. Think of those who may be struggling day to day – there are many; a smile and a word of greeting may change someone’s day.

So, Happy New Year – wishing you love and contentment for 2025!

Sheerin Wilde The Harbour Kitchen
From the moment we opened our doors, we have been overwhelmed by the incredible support and warm welcome from this wonderful community. The enthusiasm and curiosity surrounding The Harbour Kitchen has been nothing short of extraordinary, but what has truly stood out is the kindness of our customers.

Your generosity, not just towards our team but in embracing us as part of this beautiful town—has been remarkable. In my 35-plus years in the restaurant industry, I have never experienced anything quite like it.

We are deeply grateful for your unwavering support and are reminded daily that it’s our customers who truly make a restaurant what it is. To our regulars, thank you for making The Harbour Kitchen more than just a place to dine—thank you for making it part of your community.

Here’s to many more wonderful moments together.

Abiha Mansoor Superstar In Waiting
I had an outstanding year in 2024. I reached the semifinals in Junior Eurovision 2024 Ireland and secured 3rd place in Lisburn’s Got Talent.

Getting to perform on The Late Late Toy Show was pretty amazing too – I had the prestigious honour of closing the show. And it was here that I was informed of my singing earning me a free trip to Las Vegas in February to see Mariah Carey, courtesy of Sony Music.

All of this got me noticed too, with features in prominent Irish publications such as The Irish Times, Irish Independent, The Journal, and RTÉ News. All of which has opened doors to new shows in 2025, and now I just can’t wait to release my single in March.

The Happy Pear’s Steve & Dave
As we look back on 2024, it’s fair to say it’s been a year of highs and challenges. Running a business like The Happy Pear has its ups and downs, and this year has been no exception. From navigating the journey demands of growing our brand internationally whilst maintaining our connection with our community here in Greystones, it’s been full-on. But through the hard work, there have been some incredible moments that we’re proud to share with you.

Here are a few highlights from the past 12 months:

20 Years of The Happy Pear
A New Cookbook: To mark our 20th anniversary, we launched Happy Pear 20, a collection of our most loved recipes from the last two decades. It’s been amazing to see it so well-received—it feels like a love letter to everything we’ve built.

20 Product Awards: Our food products brought home 20 awards this year, including 5 Blas na hÉireann and 8 Great Taste Awards. These moments keep us motivated, even when things feel tough behind the scenes.

Rooted in Community and Local Food
Our Farm’s Second Full Year: Growing organic veg in Kilcoole has been a learning curve, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see local, organic, nutrient-dense produce reaching tables in the area. We now have 70 local families getting a weekly veg box which we will start to offer nationally in January.

Supper Clubs: These evenings celebrating seasonal veg from our farm have become a highlight of our fortnightly calendar. They remind us why we do what we do: bringing people together over good food. We have our Mexican Supper Club on in January if you want to give it a try.

School Visits: One of the most fulfilling moments this year was welcoming 140 kids from St. Brigid’s NS to our farm. Inspiring the next generation to care about food and the planet means everything to us.

Beyond Greystones
Launching in the UK: Taking our products to the UK has been one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced this year, but we’re proud of the groundwork we’ve laid. Trade shows, meetings, and sheer hustle have been the name of the game, and we’re excited for what’s ahead in 2025.

Cooking on The Today Show in NYC: A surreal highlight was cooking on the Today Show in the U.S. and sharing the stage with stars like Roger Federer and Steph Curry. Definitely one for the memory bank!

Balancing Work and Passion Projects
Running the Wicklow Way: In September, we ran the 130km Wicklow Way in two days to raise funds for Friends of the Cliff Walk. It was tough going but so rewarding; it reminded us how much we love this incredible corner of the world. Big shout out to Mark Davies, Connal Finn, Brendan O’Neill, Conor O’Neill and Christian and Kim from Aberdeen who we had the pleasure of doing this with.

Grateful for Greystones
18th Annual Apple Pie Contest: We hosted our annual apple pie baking contest in November which was such craic for all who partook. Big shoot out to Luke Carrig and his band who played to elevate the celebrations. Whether you baked or just enjoyed the tasting, it was another great year for pies!

Giving Back: From local events to the farm tours, we’re always striving to stay connected to our roots and the community that has supported us from the start.

A Note of Thanks
While it’s easy to share the highlights, the truth is that this year has had its fair share of challenges too. Balancing growth, navigating change, and managing the daily realities of running a business has stretched us in ways we couldn’t have anticipated. But through it all, we’re so grateful for the support of the Greystones community and the friends and family who’ve cheered us on.

Here’s to 2025—more challenges, more growth, and hopefully more moments of connection, joy, and good food.

Peter Robbie Actor, Writer, Wit, Rapscallion
‘May you live in interesting times.’ The old curse never seemed like a curse to me… until last year, that is. 2023 wasn’t particularly great, what with mum finally deciding that she’s had enough of us all. Mind you, at the age of ninety-nine and still independent, I suppose that we really couldn’t have been too surprised. That said, her going did leave a very large Dorothy Robbie-shaped hole in all of our lives. That then, summed up 2023 in a nutshell. Now, on to 2024!

The year began in the usual dull way, with the enforced jollity of New Year’s Eve and all that nonsense. As one gets older, most years don’t provide much in the way of exciting events to look forward to, more like an ever-expanding list of those who have shuffled off this mortal coil, so Petie doesn’t overly enjoy this particular time of year.

All proceeded as normal, until May. A reasonably routine visit to the doctor changed my life completely. A diagnosis of a rare, large and very aggressive cancer concentrated our minds somewhat. An operation took place at the end of May and after that, a lengthy period of recuperation. During the rest of the year, things were taken up with multiple visits to the hospital for scans and checks and procedures. The year has been a lengthy period of good days, bad days and okay days. All very wearing for both the memsahib and I. Now, as we stumble into a new year once again, it has given me time to reflect.

I’m not one for self-pity and am just interested in how we can keep things ticking over as best as we can. One of the most uplifting things that I have discovered is how strong my lovely wife is. I can’t begin to think about how I would cope in her shoes, and she continues to surprise me every single day. When Nora walked into my life, I knew that I had met my soulmate and how many people can say that?

Another bright point in my life after Franklin, is how wonderful my close friends are. Just in case you don’t know who or what Franklin is, I shall enlighten you briefly. My cancer was located in my urethra, and as I thought it was a positive step to give it a name, rather than the rather depressing epithet of “My cancer”, I gave it the name of Franklin, after Urethra (Pardon the pun) Franklin…with apologies, of course.

Getting back to my wife and good friends, and they know who they are, I cannot stress how vital these people have been and continue to be. Like most of us, I don’t have that many really good friends, but those I do have, are the type of people who when they say, “If there is anything I can do?” I know that they mean it. For this, I love them all to bits.

Another thing that has kept me going, are the inhabitants of Delgany and Greystones. There is so much going on around the area that is both positive and enjoyable, we really should realise how lucky we all are to reside in this small but beautiful part of our little country.

Another thing that has really kept my mind focussed, are the members of The Delgany Dramatic Society. We have a really fantastic little group of talented people, beavering away throughout the year and I consider myself so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful team. With the next performance always just a few months ahead, it has given and keeps on giving me a target to aim for. I find it impossible to imagine not having something to aim for in life and even though this might appear fairly small beer for some people, I cherish my participation with this group and I thank them for what they are doing for me.

On Christmas Day, I wandered down to the sea front, along with my big brother Dave. Well, it was like a Summer festival. So many people swimming, walking, watching and just hanging out. It was simply an uplifting experience. Again, we must realise how lucky we are. If we can all do this and keep positive attitudes, this place will continue to thrive. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Paul Byrne for allowing me the chance to share my thoughts with the wider population and also to wish you all a very happy 2025. Luckily for Poor Petie, thanks to my consultant Ivor Cullen and Alison Doran (his specialist nurse), I too can hopefully look forward with you all, to a brand new year and all that it brings.

Mary Coughlan Diva Supreme
At some point during this last year I felt (probably for the first time ever) extremely content with life – both
my personal life and in my work life.

It’s difficult to feel ‘happy’ with so many horrific events happening in this country, and wars in Gaza and elsewhere. But I do feel grateful for what I have in my life and I feel happy when I’m singing for those couple of hours on my other home, the stage.

I’ve had a wonderful year in so many ways…

Kathleen Kelleher Greystones Person Of The Year
In 2024, I celebrated a milestone birthday, which made me stop and do a bit of evaluation.

I am so very grateful to all the people who have come into my life over the years. My own family growing up, parents, siblings, relations, my four children, their spouses, grandchildren, friends and colleagues. They have enriched my life to no end.

I was fortunate to find myself living in Greystones. While living initially in Shannon, Co. Clare, The Irish Times had an ad for new houses in Rathdown Park. Bingo, we were there; a fabulous neighbourhood, superb for raising children. Where else would I want to live??

It’s been another great year, and at the end of each year, I’m always so grateful for the good people I’ve met along the way, and all the joy that being a part of such a close community can bring…

Jennifer Whitmore Social Democrat, General Do-Gooder
I’m too busy. And important. So, shove it.

Siofra Lawless Boxing Champ
It feels like I have plenty of reasons to be cheerful – especially winning two world titles, with my family right there, by my side. And the incredible homecoming here in Greystones, with the street parade, the Four Kings, Temple Carrig School too…

Earning another Irish title was immensely important too, increasing both my experience and my confidence in my preparation for a tilt at next year’s European championships.

And then, to finish the year with a nomination from the Irish Boxing Awards, 2024 has been just amazing…

Didem Kose Yellov
2024 was the year my biggest dream —opening my food truck under my family’s business name — became a reality.

In the process, I met more people than I could have ever imagined, and together, we shared our stories and experiences.

From the moment I first moved to Greystones, I knew this place would change my life. Starting a new business on my own wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the wonderful community. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you’ve given me in making my dream come true.

Being at The Boat Yard and surrounded by successful, visionary people has been an incredible experience. A special thank you to Ray and Bowie (Burrito Box), the talented Avril (Another Fine Mess), Laura and Rob (The Barrel Sauna), and The Boat Yard Gallery.

Once again, I’ve learned that success is even more valuable when shared with those around you.

Wishing everyone a happy new year and always remember that anything is possible if you believe!

Darn tootin’, kiddo.

If any of you are still feeling miserable, you can always check out lots more Reasons To Be Cheerful right here.