The Bird Lady of Bray - The True Story of Aunty Ethel And Her Sister Maura

A Real Ireland postcard from the 1980s features a woman with a seagull perched on top of her head! To the visitors who sent this card to places all over the world this woman was known as ‘The Bird Lady of Bray’. However, to the people of Bray and the listeners to East Coast FM, she was simply, ‘Aunty’ Ethel, a much-loved and slightly eccentric character, fond of ‘a drop of the cratur’ and who occasionally cropped up on air to share her amusing stories. Following Ethel’s death in 2015, social media sites were swamped with affectionate tributes to Ethel - one of the last of Bray’s iconic characters. But who really was Aunty Ethel? And how did she come to be East Coast’s ‘unofficial tea lady’? Radio producer Pat Hannon recorded a private interview in 1999 that he did with Ethel and her only sister Maura (it was Maura’s only trip back to Bray since she left for America in the 1950s and Maura was taken aback reports of Ethel’s drinking). Interviews with past presenters of BLB and present presenters of East Coast FM were then recorded and compiled to craft an innovative and quality feature which tells Ethel’s story and which also captures the unique easy-going family atmosphere of East Coast which gave Ethel a sense of belonging and an escape from the loneliness of old age from a cold damp flat. This programme ensures that Ethel’s story and moreover, her voice - the ordinary voice of a much-loved local character - is celebrated and remembered. It continues to gather listeners from around the globe on Soundcloud. (Photo credit: Liam Blake) Music Credits: Podington Bear - Window Shopping, By Grace, Cake, Boardwalk, Aim Is True, Ice PacK, Tracers; Jason Shaw - Nice And Easy, Mornings; Fabian Measures - Higekitekina; Obsibilo - Soixante.