I grew up in Dublin in the 1950's. I was an only child of the dearest parents. I had a lovely extended family of elders, decent, kind and caring - protestant in every way. I lived through my imagination, fired and fed by my voracious reading.

On leaving college I went with friends to London. There I came across fresh philosophies and ideas. 'Well Walk' pottery in Hampstead intrigued me.

Through seeing an advertisement in the New Statesman I located a potter in Ballydehob who needed an assistant. She agreed to employ me as a lowly apprentice at £5 per week. I went to West Cork for the summer of '67 and stayed for two years. Christa Reichel german sculptor and potter became my mentor and friend.

A new purposeful world opened up for me from which, 30 years on, I am still relishing and drawing inspiration. From Ballydehob I took Route 66 to the Brennan's Studio in Dun Laoghaire. Helena's devotion to Bernard Leach and Peter's vast knowledge of kilns and kiln building taught me invaluable lessons.

Tue Polsen in Copenhagen introduced me to Danish excellence in design. It was in Copenhagen I found that wonderful craft store 'Den Permante', a true showcase for Danish craftsmen and women. Tue made wonderful stoneware tiles and enormous platters; these inspired much of my later work with press moulding.

Returning to Ireland in the autumn of 1971 I joined a friend who was working in the pottery studio at the camphill (Steiner) village community in Craigavad, Holywood. Co. Down. He and I ran the pottery when the Norwegian potter left. We had a staff of 5 people with special needs, a massive electric kiln and a clay pit. We thrived until we struck sand and all our glazed pots began to leak. Time to move on.

To a tiny studio in Cork City on the marshes in the red light district. My own space at last, for 10 shillings a week, a 3 cubic foot kiln and a lovely electric wheel. It was in this studio i began to work in my rich dark clay body, using majolica, slip, scraffito, wax resist - freedom to experiment.

I live in South Wexford now, on solid Norman ground. My stone house, studio space and privacy are the fulfillment of a dream born in Gurteenakilla, west cork, in '67 , a way station on a long and continuous journey of dreaming...