Cavan woman stars in new series of Secret Millionaire

Seamus Enright

A Cavan businesswoman has captured the hearts and minds of a nation, following her appearance on RTÉ’s new series of The Secret Millionaire, where she travelled to inner city Dublin in search of worthy charities to support and spend time with.

Aired on RTÉ One last Monday night, the screened journey took Margaret Farrelly of Clonarn Clover– Ireland’s largest independent supplier of free range eggs, into Dublin’s Liberties, to work with a local cancer group, the embattled community centre there and Ireland’s only inclusive choir.

For the down to earth Margaret the title of Secret Millionaire though is one that doesn’t sit too easily with her. The Billis, Virginia-native told The Anglo-Celt: 'I feel really, really uncomfortable with it. I even asked if they could change the name of the programme for me because I hate the thought anyone would think this one’s too big for her boots'.

Margaret says the experience she had in taking part in the show was as rewarding as it was humbling for her.

'When the production company first contacted us about a year ago we were setting up the factory in Cootehill and we were tied up in that so we couldn’t commit. But we told them if the opportunity was to come up again, to keep us in mind.

'Nine months later they called back. Even though it took us a long time to say yes to it, mainly because of being nervous. As a small company on the border with Cavan and Meath, and not really ever having been in the limelight before, at no time did we ever feel comfortable with saying no.'

 

Ache in my chest

Guided by her own mother’s words that ‘if you’ve the heart to give you’ll never want’, filming began towards the end of July.

Though Margaret had spent 13-years, from 1970 to 83 living in the capital before marrying her husband Leo and moving back to Cavan, she says a lot has changed since then. Even still, she found herself very at home with the 'salt of the earth' people of inner city Dublin, seen in direct contrast to her own country-woman persona.

Since the programme’s airing, Margaret can now talk freely about her experiences there, and she still gets a lump in her 'throat and an ache in my chest thinking about it.'

First up was her visit to Ireland’s only inclusive choir, a choir which sees able-bodied and persons with disabilities sing side by side.

This part of the show, when she first met the group, which is funded by flash-mob events, she says was made all the more poignant by the fact that off-camera, just across the city, members of the Oireachtas were putting the final touches to the ‘Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill’.

'From the reports we were getting they were drinking themselves stupid in the Dáil bar while these people scrimp and save for everything. But not only that, I thought of how important the decision being made was, that at another time and place in Ireland the people I was there with wouldn’t be here because they might’ve been terminated at birth. That weighed very heavily on me I have to tell you.'

 

Grief

Another personal moment which did make it to screen was the emotional journey Margaret faces when remembering her youngest sister who died of cancer at the age of 18. This has a profound effect on Margaret as she is forced to face this grief when she spends time with a grass roots cancer charity that is doing its best to help others.

The other charities she encounters include a community centre in the Liberties under huge pressure and a men’s group helping fathers cope with children who are drug addicts – all far from Margaret’s comfort zone.

'The needs that are out there that we don’t even see or are aware of. The things I never realised before. The people I met, the charities I went to see, each one was so worthy in their own way and the commitment those people give to what they do is incredible.'

She tells the Celt the thousands of euro she donates is of course 'money well spent', but ultimately, 'The sad part is that there is never enough to go around. We all hope for change. As one of the women says in the programme, we have to show Enda (Kenny) this, but the need there will always be far greater than we could ever satisfy.'