How are you getting on with the new normal? We talk to the rest of the fabulous ShoutOut Board of Directors. You can read Volume One here.

Introducing Conor, Declan, and Maria!

How are you though?

Conor: Doing good, thanks for asking!

Declan: I feel very lucky to be able to stay safe and to be able to work from home. I think everyone has good days and bad during this strange time, particularly exacerbated by the fact that we can't see or embrace our closed friends and family. That said I am trying to focus on the positives - for example having a lot more time to spend in my garden, which I love.

Maria: I’m grand-ish. Beautiful weather in Donegal is helping, but house arrest is still house arrest!

Where are you quarantining?

Conor: My own house

Declan: I am very lucky to be quarantined in my own house in Donegal with my husband, Pauge.

Maria: In my mother’s house in east Donegal.

Do you have a non-human friend with you?

Conor: No, but the plants are starting to feel like friends at this stage.

Declan: We have our beautiful cocker spaniel, Fionnuala, who keeps us company, as well as entertained. She's a very good dog.

Maria: Some very very tweety birds outside my window keep me company.

Fionnuala through the years!

Favourite series to binge during the quarantine?

Conor: Ozark.

Declan: I've been re-binging Looking from HBO. It's a great piece of TV!

Maria: I really haven’t had time or headspace for much Netflix, but I have enjoyed the slow pace of Trigonometry on bbc2 Sunday nights, and I’ve come back to my tv comfort food which is beautifully shot historical documentaries on bbc4

What is your quarantine snack of choice?

Conor: Anything with chocolate in it/on it

Declan: The good old staple of cheese and toast!

Maria: Tough one - toss-up between HunkyDorys Sour Cream and nordie Tayto C&O

Share with us a positive thing that has happened to you during the quarantine?

Conor: An unexpected hamper arrived of food and goodies from a very kind friend.

Declan: I've had more time to spend thinking about, planning and planting up my garden. We are in our new home for just over a year so there's a lot to be done and the garden has been receiving most of the attention with all the great weather! It's come a long way in the past six weeks of isolation!

Maria: I’ve had more online connection and catching up with friends outside of Dublin than I would normally have this time of year, that’s been great!

Because not everything is rainbows, what sucks about the quarantine?

Conor: Not seeing my family, especially my little nephews.

Declan: I hate not being able to see my friends in person, and not being able to enjoy this great weather we've been having with them - at the beach, hiking or in a beer garden.

Maria: Missing my nieces and nephews; Big ??? over women's camp this summer; and lack of haircut! (in reverse order of priority!)

When at home, are you barefoot, socks, slippers or full-on wearing shoes?

Conor: Mainly barefoot!

Declan: Flip-flops are my footwear of choice. It will be hard to get back out of them when I have to return to the office

Maria: I normally work from home anyway, so Ive continued with my day work clothes (shirts, but comfy ones) and I change into trackies in the evening.

Any quarantine tunes to recommend?

Conor: This is John Denver

Declan: Apart from the obvious 'Blinding Lights'?! Taylor Swift cheers me up no end.

Maria: Nina Simone remixes still working for me!

Who is your current Queero?

Conor: The fabulous ShoutOut Team who have shown great resilience and creativity in this crisis.

Declan: Ailbhe Smyth, forever and for always.

Maria: LGBTQ+ community and business leaders have been awesome. LGBTQ+ women business leaders in Street 66 and Tapas de Lola have shown great strength in closing down when necessary and working hard to still have a business and community space to open up again. And the meet-up leaders and hosts in Running Amach, Wanted etc have been awesome in making spaces online to keep us connected and nourished.