Photo by Maria Shields O’Kelly.
You would be forgiven for tagging Judy Gilroy as the ultimate socialite, but you may be surprised to learn that her ideal Saturday night is in fact spent in her favourite Sandymount local having a quiet chat.
Gilroy, pictured above, moved to Sandymount from the suburbs and has found that it fits like a glove. “My favourite thing is a walk on the beach, a browse in the boutiques and a chat over a coffee on the Green,” she told NewsFour. “I always bump into someone I know when I pop to the shops.”
Gilroy has worked as a TV presenter, model, producer, writer and a personal stylist but actually studied Law in college. “When I think back, there were signs to my vocation even then as Media Law was my favourite subject. Sometimes when I’m sitting talking with friends from back then we acknowledge that none of us are where we thought we’d be. Probably because we were Celtic Tiger cubs with high expectations, but I believe the road I’ve taken has led to a good work ethic.”
One of the first media roles Gilroy undertook was to interview Westlife’s Nicky Byrne for City Channel. “I was totally shaking in my boots. Then I went on to interview Ben Affleck. It was a great experience working there.”
A self-confessed control freak, she likes to oversee every aspect of a project to the highest standard. At her production company, The Roasted Pig, she directs, stars and edits and she has built her own website, judygilroy.com. “I just like to make things beautiful.”
It is therefore very fitting that she works as a personal stylist. “I think it’s important to be able to present to the media when working in fashion. I find I am using every skill I have ever picked up, whether it’s marketing, talking on camera or producing. Everything I have learned is useful.”
The next skill set on her list is photography. “I would like to see what it is like on the other side of the camera. I also think I would like to do a Reality Bites series. I was a contestant on the Fashion One Reality show in the UK. I really wanted to live in London at that time and found out that the prize was a contract for a London-based fashion correspondent. I came third and cried all the way home on the plane. I think things happen for a reason, though.”
Watch out for more of Judy Gilroy and her fashion tips for the D4 community on www.newsfour.ie in the coming months.
By Maria Shields O’Kelly
