Episode #3
Caoilfhionn Gallagher: Wearing Truth to Power
Today, we are honoured to welcome Caoilfhionn Gallagher to Desert Island Dress . Caoilfhionn is a barrister and has worked in London at the renowned Doughty Street Chambers for over 20 years, alongside similarly excellent human rights barristers such as Amal Clooney, fighting for justice — particularly for those who do not have the voice or reach to advocate for themselves. Even after talking with Caoilfhionn for just an hour, we came away humbled by what was on our own plates, as she casually shared just some of the items on her calendar for that week alone! She is a force of nature: so articulate, insightful and hugely knowledgeable, while also being incredibly self-aware and introspective. As Katriona rightly points out, to hear ‘Imposter Syndrome’ come up is not where you’d expect this conversation to go. Yet Caoilfhionn brilliantly illustrates how legacy systems and organisations can create worlds that signal to you that you do not belong. She describes an encounter at a stuffy legal outfitter while hiring the ceremonial attire she needed to become a senior barrister — a highly prestigious appointment. When she asked for the prescribed patent-buckled shoes in her petite shoe size, the outfitter sniffed that they only stocked them from size 6 upwards. I thought this was a simple yet highly illustrative example of the social cues we might interpret as telling us that we don’t belong in certain spaces. We literally don’t fit in their shoes. Each of Caoilfhionn’s four items leads to beautiful conversations that stretch from the personal — including teenage memories, family love and loss — through to accents and the Irish and British social class systems, and the power of a T-shirt to advocate for human rights. It’s all here, told through the wonderfully worded stories of our second guest of the series, Caoilfhionn Gallagher. ✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress : Instagram: @desert_island_dress Website: www.desert-island-dress.com Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm, visit: www.desert-island-dress.com
