This week, Miriam O'Callaghan interviews Belfast born actor Ciaran Hinds and his sister, equality activist Bronagh Hinds.
They recall their Belfast childhood in the shadow of Cave Hill. Ciaran, an only boy with four sisters showed an early talent for dancing. Bronagh his older sister always looked out for him. The children of a Belfast GP, they had a comfortable childhood. But in choosing their paths in life, they didn't choose to become doctors like their father, but followed the path inspired by their mother. Their mother had been a talented actress in her youth and was very involved in voluntary work. To celebrate their happy memories of times spent with their dancing teacher, Patricia Mulholland, Joanne Quigley, acting leader of the RTE Concert Orchestra, performed The Coolin on violin.
In later life, the brother and sister pursued different paths. Ciaran left Queen's Univiersity and ended up studying in RADA in London. Bronagh became the first woman President of Queen's University Student's Union. She was involved with the Civil Rights movement, with the formation of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and more recently in an organisation called Democrashe, encouraging women to take part in political life.
But Bronagh and Ciaran have remained close. They recall the impact that the deaths of their father and their sister had on them and their family.
Ciaran had had a very successful career and recalls some of his roles with Miriam. But Bronagh says that their mother, now aged 91, still maintains that his best ever performance was as Lady McBeth in a school production when he was only thirteen years old. Ciaran tells Miriam about the role of Captain Boyle in Juno and the Paycock which he is currently rehearsing at the Abbey where it opens on September 29th before transferring to the National Theatre in London in November.
Bronagh tells Miriam that they are a family who love words even more than they love music and to mark this, Ciaran reads his mother's favourite poem W.B. Yeat's The Cloths of Heaven