Louth's Andrea Corr is this week's guest on The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy

Dundalk singer, songwriter, author, actor and lead vocalist of The Corrs, Andrea Corr joins Ryan this week on The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy.

As lead vocalist of The Corrs who have sold over 40 million records, she has graced the screen and stage, written her own memoir Barefoot Pilgrimage, released two solo albums and is mum to two children.

Andrea sits down with Ryan and through the prism of three books, her favourite childhood book, the book that made her cry and the book that changed her life, Andrea charts her life from a young ‘giddy girl’, losing her parents, the profound sadness she felt and her belief she will see them again and her struggle to conceive.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy (@bookshelfpodcast)

CS Lewis’ Silver Chair from the Narnia series is a book she has visceral memories of reading, where the children are bullied at school and escape to Narnia.

It’s something that a lot of children experience and is something she went though as a child telling Ryan:

"I had a happy childhood, I think I got to 12 without ever having that worry ache that pain in your gut.

"As you get older you have different problems with people, or friends. Like everybody I had a bit of a hard time.

"There was a small moment when that ache came,  girls made up something to stop me going somewhere and that people were calling me names.

"What I was being called was harsh and made me ashamed but it was not true…but I believed it so fully that it never actually left me. I am not sitting here crying going poor me. I see my kids as much stronger than me, particularly my daughter who would have none of this crap I took! She doesn’t have my weaknesses, I don’t worry about that ache for her."

Andrea also talks about her faith and how she prayed to Little Flower, St Therese of Lisieux, when she experienced difficulties getting pregnant.

"My situation was not good I had five miscarriages, and it didn’t look good that I would be able to hold my own baby", she said.

"It was almost miraculous how my problems disappeared. I believe prayer and faith and trust handing it over. I trust what’s best will happen for me."

To hear more of Andrea’s book choices and for Ryan’s own segment Ryan Recommends, don’t miss The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy, sponsored by Eason, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major audio platforms and to watch on YouTube.

All the books discussed on the podcast are available now in your local Eason store or online from Easons.com before 6pm for same-day dispatch, with free delivery when you spend over €10.