Piseógs, Pursuit and Petrol Stations: Eight Life Lessons from Diarmuid & Gráinne

Welcome back to your one-stop shop for everything related to our favourite duo! This week’s post reflects on our beloved script, and, while we’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing this wonderfully fictitious work to life, we couldn’t help but accidentally learn some valuable life lessons on the way! Being the good friends that we are, we wanted to share these nuggets of knowledge with you!

1.     You will probably look like an animal when you give birth (hey, we don’t make the rules!). During the rehearsal process, it emerged quite quickly that labour is tough, and that all sense of decency or dignity is no more. To any mothers reading, please skip the queue in coffee shops. You’ve earned it. We don’t mind. Really.

2.     Always put enough petrol in your car. Okay, this one is probably a given, but have you ever just “thrown a tenner’s worth in” and hoped for the best? Take it from our main man Diarmuid, you don’t need the hassle of driving from pillar to post in search of fuel, especially when prices vary so dramatically in our current economic climate. Oh, and make sure to check you don’t put petrol in a diesel-engine car. Not Diarmuid and Gráinne related, but pretty important all the same.

3.     Always leave a loaf of bread, a fishbone or a statue behind to tell your beau that you’re not involved with the other guy. How else will they know?

4.     Not all step-parents are evil. Exhibit A: Aonghus. We love a good subverted trope, and our Aonghus treats Diarmuid like his own son. He’s a man we’d love to meet!

5.     It pays to join forces with people. We’re not advising joining a gang or any kind of criminal activity (a la some of the Diarmuid and Gráinne characters) but why not join an extracurricular activity or club? Regardless of motive, the Fianna are a tight-knit group, and their bond is admirable if anything.

6.     Mum doesn’t always know best. Sorry, mammies. After praising you in point #1, this was inevitably coming. We know that our parents want to look out for us and usually have our best interests at heart, but sometimes you simply can’t help who you fall in love with. When you know, you know (most of the time, anyway)!

7.     Boiler suits are generally quite unflattering. 

8.     No matter what life throws at you, there’s nothing like a bit of ceól traidisiúnta! 

Until next time!

The Cast and Crew