Justine Stafford, an Irish comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster from County Meath, has detailed her journey from rural childhood filmmaking to national success, alongside her personal battles with anorexia, depression, and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), in her debut book The Irish Art of It’ll be Grand, published by Wildfire.
Kilbeg Childhood and Early Filmmaking Roots in Co Meath
Stafford grew up in Kilbeg, located outside the village of Nobber in County Meath, where her father worked as a dairy farmer. She attended a small primary school in Kilbeg with a tight-knit group of friends she retains to this day. Her interest in comedy and video production was sparked in fifth class through a school project with Fís, an initiative run by IADT that provides technology to rural schools with limited access. Stafford made a short comedy film during that project, loved the experience, and received a camcorder from Santa that Christmas, cementing her passion for filmmaking.
At age 15, Stafford won the national under-18 film festival, the Fresh Film Festival in Limerick, earning the opportunity to represent her short film internationally in South Korea. Upon landing in Seoul, she encountered a large airport poster of Pierce Brosnan welcoming visitors. She recalled finding it bizarre to see subtitles translating Irish colloquialisms like “feck” and “shite” into Korean, noting her early sense of responsibility to represent Ireland well abroad. She later studied film and broadcasting at DIT and co-hosts a podcast called The Lovely Show with comedian Kevin McGahern.
Secondary School Struggles With Anorexia and Bullying
The transition from a small primary school class of 11 students to a secondary school of approximately 400 pupils proved overwhelming for Stafford. She struggled to make new friends and felt isolated from her childhood companions. Having experienced being overweight as a child, she faced bullying for her size and believed that losing weight would help her integrate socially. That diet spiralled into anorexia, an eating disorder that she later linked to obsessive-compulsive tendencies, perfectionism, and a need for control, which ultimately impacted her academic studies.
Hospitalization at 23 and Diagnosis of EUPD
Following her college years, Stafford experienced uncertainty regarding her personal identity, compounded by depression and self-harm. While peers moved home or took year-long visas to America, her mental health struggles prevented her from traveling. At age 23, following a suicide attempt and subsequent hospitalization, she received a formal diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). Stafford described the diagnosis as a relief because it provided a clear description for her experiences with extreme emotional highs and lows, struggles with self-identity, and difficulty regulating emotions. She notes that EUPD symptoms can be brought into remission, where they are less intense and manageable when they arise.
The Writing Process Behind The Irish Art of It’ll be Grand
In her book The Irish Art of It’ll be Grand, Stafford combines a comedic exploration of the Irish outlook on life with personal accounts of her mental health struggles. She stated that presenting a purely lighthearted view of Ireland would have been a disservice, prompting her to include moments where serious situations elicit serious responses from Irish people. The writing process included recording the audiobook, which required her to read aloud her personal experiences. Alongside her solo book project, she and Kevin McGahern produce The Lovely Show, drawing on their shared rural Meath and Cavan backgrounds to connect with an international diaspora audience in Australia and New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Justine Stafford grow up?
Stafford grew up in Kilbeg, a rural area outside the village of Nobber in County Meath, where her father worked as a dairy farmer.
What festival did she win at age 15?
She won the national under-18 Fresh Film Festival in Limerick, which earned her the chance to screen her short film in South Korea.
At what age was Stafford diagnosed with EUPD?
She received her diagnosis for Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder at age 23 while in the hospital following a suicide attempt.
What is the title of her debut book?
Her debut book is titled The Irish Art of It’ll be Grand, published by Wildfire.
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