Rebecca McCarthy, a 6th year student in Davis College, will make her television debut in the Virgin Media Television series ‘The Assembly Ireland’, the first episode of which will air on Monday, 19th January. The programme centres around a group of autistic and neurodivergent people – known as ‘The Assembly – who inter-view a well-known public figure. The conversations are completely unscripted, which leads to very honest, often funny, and sometimes moving moments that you don’t usually see on television. The guest on the first episode on Monday week is Ryan Tubridy, his first return to Irish television since leaving RTÉ.
Speaking about her involvement in the show, Rebecca said, “I’m part of the show, and as someone from the local area, it’s been incredibly meaningful to be involved in something like this.
“What really stands out about The Assembly Ireland is how different it feels – it’s not polished or overly produced, and it allows neurodivergent voices to be front and centre in a very genuine way.
“The format has already been produced in other countries and has been widely praised for how it flips the usual interview dynamic.
“The Irish version brings that idea home and puts it firmly in an Irish context,” she said.
Rebecca is also a member of Mallow Musical Society which was formed in recent years and has already staged several shows, performing songs from a variety of popular musicals.