My journey with Spiritualism began quite unexpectedly when I was 21.
After experiencing things I couldn’t explain, a friend suggested I visit Belfast Spiritualist Church. I attended my first Sunday service, returned the following evening for an awareness class, and by the end of that class had been invited to join one of the church’s development circles.
I couldn’t have known then how important that church, and the people I met there, would become to me.
Finding my spiritual family
For the next five years, Tuesday night development circle became a constant part of my life. I was fortunate to develop under Dorothy Byrne and Shellie Nicoll, alongside a group of people who became my spiritual family.
Belfast was where I developed as a medium and found my place as a Spiritualist. I’m also enormously grateful to those who encouraged me and gave me opportunities in those early years, particularly Angela Dunlop and Claire Ziritt.
Further afield
While living in Belfast, I began travelling home to Dublin to work with the Spiritualist Union of Ireland and Irish Spiritualist Federation. Other opportunities followed, with Brian Lynch and Sharon Patterson helping to open doors for me in Scotland before I eventually moved there.
Over the years, mediumship has also taken me beyond the UK and Ireland to Canada, Germany and Iceland. Wherever I’ve travelled, I’ve found that the language may change, but working with Spirit remains remarkably familiar.
Mediumship is only one part of Spiritualism for me. I love the community, philosophy and shared experience of a Spiritualist service as much as the demonstration itself.
My aim when demonstrating is to provide evidence that the human soul continues beyond physical death — while still leaving room for warmth, personality and humour. I’m Irish, after all!
Still learning
After stepping away from regular public work for a period, returning to demonstrating reminded me how much I love it.
More than 20 years after walking into my first development class, I still consider myself a student. I’ve never measured the journey by titles, recognition or how busy my calendar might be. What matters to me is continuing to learn, working ethically and professionally, and appreciating the opportunities I’m fortunate enough to be given.
