This morning.

O’Connell Street, Dublin 1

Authors Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen (above centre) gathered with real-life Aislings to launch ‘Aisling Day’, this Thursday, September 12, which marks the release of their new book ‘Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling’.

Eason O’Connell Street will give away a free copy to the first 50 people named Aisling who come to the store between 12–2pm on September 12.

The ten Aislings above were recruited through social media and are clad in traditional Aisling dress: ‘shumper’ (shirt and jumper in one), pencil skirt, ‘sensible flats’ and anorak – all courtesy of Penneys.

Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

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31 thoughts on “Ashes To Ashes”

    1. ReproBertie

      What happened my “does not equal”?

      Let’s try that again.

      “I do not like thing” != “thing is no good”

      1. ReproBertie

        I’ve never read it so I have no idea how good or bad it is. It does seem to be quite popular and successful so there are people who clearly think it is good.

  4. Definitely not aisling

    This is really distressing. A good friend of mine goes by the same name and its pretty terrible that she has her name associated so closely with this phenomenon. I dont have a problem with the books, or what they are doing, but they are colonising a name, which is a very important thing to a persons identity. If, and its possible, one has that name and doesnt associate with the books or the brand, you can imagine its distressing. Not a serious, life changing way, but just someone squatting and defining a part of your identity, for their own benefit.

    Heres an example, imagine a series of books were released under the name, and brand of Emer, or Sarah. Then imagine the central character became famous enough to draw an association with that name. Then imagine that the authors of the book did their upmost to sell that aspect of the publication. Imagine the nature of the character central to those books, the phenomenon around it, was offensive to Emer, or Sarah, for some reason – kind of objectionable.

    I know this has happened before with the “Ross” books, and so on. All the same, the horse has bolted.

    1. Aishling Go Brách

      Worry-Wort.

      The books sounds like great crack. And a nice, funny respectable photoshoot too.

      getoveryourself.com

        1. Boj

          It also sparked a few Barts into existence, so this phenomenon can create as well as destroy :-) So many innocent victims of those gosh darn namejackers! Anyway, I’m off to pick Adolf up from school…

    5. scottser

      i have never, ever met a dearbhla that i’ve liked. or indeed a caoimhe as they in particular display some of the worst traits that humans possess. i frequently use those as insults to others. i do however only use them in my own head.
      i do not know any aislings that behave or look like those aislings above.

        1. Boj

          Any Dermot I’ve ever met is a plonker.
          Cathys are a pain too – but interestingly Catherines are sound
          :-)

      3. Spaghetti Hoop

        Ah, lads – respect the name a person had no choice in donning!
        An English colleague couldn’t stop laughing at my name when I introduced myself. While not hurt in any way by it, the scrote was lucky he was on the end of the phone and not in my office.

          1. Paulus

            I used to think Gobnait was a makey-up name from Ballymagash.
            But then I used to think the same about Multyfarnham

  5. Slightly Bemused

    “clad in traditional Aisling dress: ‘shumper’ (shirt and jumper in one), pencil skirt, ‘sensible flats’ and anorak”

    Ya what? Since when is that ‘traditional? I have several friends and a number of colleagues and acquaintances named Aisling and, to my knowledge, they have never worn this outfit.

  7. Riz

    My wife read this book for her bookclub. As laughable as that is (this book is far to vapid to be discussed at any real length or with any merit) I thought to myself perhaps I am missing something. How could a group of 10 educated women be wrong? So I read the first 50 pages of Oh My God what an Aisling.

    It is without doubt the worst thing I have read since Dan Brown’s The DaVinci code. It reads like a transition year student’s creative writing essay. I feel sorry for all the girls and women of Ireland now cursed with the name of Aisling.

  8. V

    First I heard of an Irish Bridget Jones

    But c’mere
    shouldn’t it be
    Bridgie Jones
    or
    Bridie Jones

    Just saying

    Good luck to them anyway

  9. class wario

    is there not a bit of a questionable origin story to this? along the lines of the author having little to do with the original FB page and just being the first to churn out some books and monetise it?

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