Tipperary's Roberta O'Brien holds title of highest-ranking woman in the Irish Navy

Tipperary Town Library was honoured to welcome the remarkable Roberta O'Brien from Aherlow as part of the Bealtaine Festival.

Roberta holds the distinguished title of being the highest-ranking woman in the Irish Navy, celebrated as the first woman to captain her own ship and later to achieve the prestigious rank of Commander.

She joined the Permanent Defence Forces in 1995 and was part of the first ever intake of female personnel into the Irish Navy along with her classmate Orlaith Gallagher, who is now a Lieutenant Commander.

READ NEXT: COMMENT: Cara Darmody takes us behind the scenes of her historic 50-hour Dáil protest

She was commissioned as an Officer in 1997. Commander O'Brien has held a wide variety of roles and appointments at sea and ashore including that of a Senior Staff Officer in Naval Headquarters, Health & Safety Advisor and Cadet Class Officer.

A mother of three young children, her husband, Peadar Ó Catháin, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Irish Army currently posted to EU military staff headquarters in Brussels.

It was a moment of pride for library colleagues Majella & Ruth who had gone to secondary school the same time as Roberta, making her visit all the more memorable and inspiring.

Tipperary Town Library welcomed author Paul Whyte. Paul, who lives in Ballinteer in Dublin with his wife and three children, grew up in Tipperary Town and was educated at the Abbey CBS.

READ NEXT: Tipperary's Rachael Blackmore tipped to star in huge TV show after recent retirement

He is son of Timmy Whyte and Caroline Baccache, who along with his brother Danny and sister Myriam all live in Tipperary Town.

He works for a telecommunications company in Dublin by day and writes in his spare time at night after his children go to bed and on his commute to and from work on the Luas.

Paul has been writing for about 13 years, mostly working on speculative and literary fiction. His stories can be found all over the place, most recently though you’ll find him in places like The Moth, Rose Magazine, and The Bohemyth.

READ NEXT: DETAILS: Ticketing information released for Tipp U20 hurlers All-Ireland final versus Kilkenny

His first novel "Harrow the Boys" transports readers to a post-climate change flooded Glen of Aherlow where the main characters spend their days scavenging for scrap during which they discover a mysterious estate with a dark secret.

The book's title is part of a lyric from the famous 1798 ballad Boolavogue, one of his dad's favourite songs.

At his talk at Tipperary Town Library, Paul shared his experiences on publishing and writing, and delivered a very informative talk enjoyed by everyone.

Many thanks to Paul for staying to answer questions on publishing and providing writing tips to help those looking to get started on their own writing journey.