When I was 18 years old, I applied to be a nun. That’s right. Me, the now 52-year-old nutcase, ex professional squash player, former prescription-medication-consumer, and raging homosexual. “God has Bigger Plans for you”, came the written reply from the Mother Superior in 1989. It was penned in the most exquisite cursive letters, with such perfect handwriting that I couldn’t stop reading it.  Bigger Plans. Hmm. Now what, I thought. I suppose the nuns were right and I dodged a bullet. Or maybe THEY dodged the bullet? My childhood and youth were spent obsessing over Holy Mary. She was the o ..read more

Last August, in 2022, I wrote a blog post called Death Wish. It’ll help if you have read it, for context on this particular post. (https://orladoherty.com/death-wish/). If you don’t have time to read it, allow me to summarize. In Death Wish, I talk about what it might be like, if we were afforded the opportunity to have a 20-minute chat with ourselves, once we’re gone. What would we say to ourselves? Would we have far more regrets than appreciations? Would we be more remorseful or more grateful? I shared my own conversation with myself – go on, give it a read, it’s amusing. I proposed to every ..read more

TRIGGER WARNING! I’m going to talk about the importance of good gut health and keeping an eye on your poo. Did you know there’s an app you can download to your phone that will track your bowel habits? It’s called PLOP. (I couldn’t believe it either!) While, this may be considered a gross topic to some, to me it’s all about health and prevention. I’ve had far too many people in my life die from colon cancer, including my father, three aunts and two uncles. I certainly don’t want to gross anyone out, so don’t read on if you find toilet topics or poo discussions unbearable. From a very early age ..read more

Talk to my Agent! I’ve always wanted to say that! Last week, I secured representation with WGM Talent Agency in the UK. I couldn’t wait to share this exciting news with all of you. Many of you have been on my journey with me since I started my blog in July of 2021. I was reminded of this last week, when I did a little reel on Instagram to commemorate ‘National Coming Out Day’ in the United States. One of the first blog posts I wrote was a four-part series about how I came out back in 1993. (Read here) The truth is, when I first learned about Coming Out Day, I was living in Sunnyvale, Californi ..read more

Trigger Warning – This blog discusses choking which may be triggering for some people who have had a bad experience around this topic. Amsterdam is a city of bikes and bridges, a myriad of dykes and damns, a collection of barges and cheeses, a cacophony of ‘coffee shops’ (and we all know what really happens if you pop in!) I visited there 7 years ago and declared it to be my favourite city ever. EVER! I couldn’t wait to get back. But this time, as I peddled frantically through the designated cycle lanes, while others whizzed by me ringing their little bells to alert me that they were passing o ..read more

A Laugh Affair From the page to the stage My blog is at the 2 year mark, and I’m grateful to all my readers for sticking with me, following along as I bumble my way into the world of writing, screenplays, and would you believe… a bit of stand-up comedy. How did it all happen? Around the time I started this blog, I joined Writing.ie online writing group Writers Ink. The decision to end a 30-year squash coaching career, and focus only on my writing, was quite daunting at first. My life thus far has been filled with adventure, mishap, hilarity and some sadness but all of these experiences are und ..read more

It’s 2023 and I, like most of you, have big plans for this year. I’m also ready to embrace absolutely anything unexpected that comes my way! I had no idea last October that I’d be having surgery on my neck a month later, so who knows WHAT will come up this year! Today marks 7 weeks since my surgery and a visit to my surgeon tomorrow will hopefully give me the all clear to slowly start back into routine training. It’s going to be a full day of doctors’ visits – I also have my annual trip to the gynaecologist. Last year, my first ‘lady’ check-up in Prague, I had such a fantastic time that I wrot ..read more

I wasn’t surprised to be awoken before the craic of dawn with a pleasant ‘Dobry Rano’ (Good morning) and then a full harangue of Czech. ‘Twas another pleasant matron who arrived with the blood pressure machine. She nodded towards my phone which I placed in front of her and she spoke slowly. Here’s what was translated, with my accompanying thoughts: “Good morning little angel.” Ah, how nice. I AM an angel, aren’t I? “You must be naked and wear this camisole” Oooh a cami? How fun! “Today you will have your operation so you must use the lavatory at a rapid pace.” Does this mean pee like a racehor ..read more

That has been the question of the month for me. As I enter my second year as a ‘writer’, it’s been interesting to watch myself – the writer in me – unfold. It’s not as if I stand in front of the mirror each morning and say ‘ah look at you, you big writer!’. I do often stand in front of the mirror and say ‘Jaysus, you’ve gained an extra chin overnight Orla’, or ‘Wait a minute, is that actually my arm or is it a sack of flour someone implanted on me while I was asleep?’. I suppose, watching myself unfold is not far from the truth… I digress… What’s been most interesting to me in the ‘unfolding ..read more

29 years ago today, I rambled off to the US, having won a green card in the lottery. Every year on this date, I always enjoy reminiscing on what I’ve been up to and how things have progressed. I wrote a piece a few months ago about my dad, and that fateful day I headed off. I’m sharing it with you today, as a happy memory, while I sit here reflecting. Hope you enjoy it. MAD MONEY                                    &n ..read more