So I have this friend. She is kind, quirky, super smart and really really funny. We have never met in person. My friend doesn’t feel comfortable going out, and instead is her true self online, where people can’t see her, or judge her, or be cruel to her. My friend is a transexual, who struggles
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Dear 18 Year Old Kat, Everything got better. You’ll discover many things in your final year of secondary school. You’ll drink for the first time, kiss people, go to house parties and spend Saturdays wandering around the city. You’ll also fight with people, and fail class tests and feel low, but I promise it get’s
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Rebecca Ryan is smart, well spoken, capable and a published author at 16. She also has OCD which, in the past, has controlled her life, and prevented her from being able to deal with anything blue, the number 4 (or multiples of) and resulted in her climbing through her windows because of her fear of
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Zimbabwean-Irish singer Pearl Natasha has enjoyed critical acclaim in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Malawi. She has played international stages including Live & Unsigned for Sea Sessions, Lake of STARS Festival & HIFA; radio and TV including Highland Radio, ZiFM Stereo, ZBC TV and Ocean FM Ireland; sharing her unique blend of Diasporan-Pop, featuring heavy African roots, lyrical ballads reminiscent of Irish
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The year my parents separated was the year my whole world completely crashed and to say my mental health suffered was an understatement. I went from being a severely athletic young girl who loved her body and everything that she was to a complete hermit who hated any sort of interaction with the world and
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In her first post for shona.ie, Libby had a chat with Zlata Filipovic, a hugely accomplished writer and filmmaker who lived through a horrendous war which forever changed her home country. Take it away Libby… “I think I’ve managed to retain this complete optimism and love of humanity and belief that people are good.” Ladies
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This post was originally shared in 2016, just as Rachel was about to turn 18. As she looked back on her teenage years, she thought about the insecurities she struggled with and wrote this beautiful essay for us: I can still remember the moment it happened. The moment insecurities became a feature in my life.
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My name is Naoishe and I’m 22. When I was 16 I went to France with my family for transition year. I loved languages and settled in really well. I was playing tennis, swimming, doing yoga, cycling through the French vineyards and going to the beach with my new French friends. Life was great! I
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I couldn’t wait for today to end! I was in the toilets and Saoirse Nolan came in with all her cronies throwing mashed potato over the top of the cubicle on top of my ‘ead. I only washed it last night an’ all. Then Pat was a bit late for the session and I was
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As a twenty two year old I will readily admit that there is a lot to life I have yet to figure out. With the help of my parents I have made my way through the education system and have recently graduated from university. I have enjoyed adventures in over twenty countries and hope to
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Laylah Beattie is a Dublin-based writer and model. She is currently undergoing a gender transition while modelling, maintaining a busy social life, producing YouTube videos and trying her best to live the life of a young person. Late last year, she appeared on The Late Late show along with Caitlin Jenner, who said that she looked
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At the moment, I am writing a speech for the upcoming TEDxBallybofey which I have been asked to speak at. The theme is ‘Beyond Borders’ I am talking about the borders concerning gender. So it has got me thinking, why is feminism such a dirty word? I am a FEMINIST and I am not embarrassed
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So, how was therapy today Kelly? “Do you know what? I got in there right and there was this total plonker in his Granddad’s cardigan and what looked like Cornish pasties on his feet sat down right and I thought, ‘Errr…look at his mush! He should be up in the attic playing with his train
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Alana Daly Mulligan is a spoken word artist, a filmmaker, an activist, an actress, a student, a Shona Ambassador and an all round legend. Today, she has shared her latest work, “Hands”, a spoken word film and coming out story. She says: So in the spirit of new year, new me, I am very excited
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Put me in any room with any group of girls and I’ll always be the weird one. I just don’t fit in. My parents are very religious, and that has had a huge effect on molding me as a person. I didn’t have a phone until I turned 14 and that was just so they
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Nigerian born, and Longford raised, spoken word artist Felispeaks is talented, exciting, opinionated, articulate and original. Her poems are beautiful, and she delivers them with such intention that you can’t help but sit up and listen. For too long in Ireland we have just done what we always do. Our options in terms of how
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This post was originally shared abut 18 months ago. Having worked really hard, spoken to a professional, and with the support of her family and friends, Alannah is now doing really great. She’s in 1st year in college, having loads of fun and loving life, in spite of it all…. Alannah suffers from panic attacks.
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The beauty industry gets a bad rap these days. But is it a good or a bad thing? We asked Gemma Fitzpatrick from the Beauty Boudoir to tell us what she thinks. Rather than write a guest post, she preferred to make a Vlog to share her view, and discuss the pro’s and the con’s.
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