
‘It changed everything' – RTE star diagnosed with condition after her symptoms ‘exploded' in pregnancy
The 2FM host got formally diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) last August after her husband
Charlie Moon
suggested she had the condition.
Advertisement
3
Blathnaid Treacy was diagnosed with ADHD last year
Credit: VMTV
3
Blathnaid noticed her symptoms more during pregnancy
Credit: Instagram
Speaking on The Six O'Clock Show, Blathnaid explained: "My husband is a teacher and he was doing a little bit of teacher training and learning about teaching people who are neurodivergent.
"And he kind of said to me, 'I think you might have ADHD, you kind of have a lot of the symptoms, I think you have them'.
"Then I started looking into it myself and I was like, 'Wow, this is me'."
Blathnaid and Charlie revealed just last month that they are
Advertisement
read more on blathnaid treacy
They first became parents on June 28, 2023, when they
, Nancy, into the world.
The radio star explained how "overwhelmed" she felt during that pregnancy.
She said: "If you're a woman and you have a baby and you have ADHD, your symptoms explode. They go through the roof. And that's what happened to me.
"I was kind of feeling all sorts of feelings and getting stressed out very easily... like really easy, finding things overwhelming.
Advertisement
Most read in Celebrity
"Like stacking things, that can be something that people with ADHD, they kind of have a list in their head.
"And they're like, 'Okay, I have so many things to do, I don't even know where to start. I'm not even going to do, I can't'."
RTE star makes 'over the moon' baby announcement
Brian Dowling, who related, replied: "Listen, now you're talking about me!"
Blathnaid added: "But it's funny actually, because it feels as though, 'Oh, it's a trend now that everyone has ADHD'. But the funny thing is people who have ADHD tend to work in media. And we use our voices.
Advertisement
"We're very sort of... you just say what's on the tip of your tongue.
"So that's probably why it feels like everybody's coming out and saying they have it now."
'OVERWHELMED'
When asked if the diagnosis gave her any "clarity" in her life, she replied: "Absolutely. It completely... it actually changed everything for me, to be honest with you.
"Because I was able to understand - I'm getting overwhelmed because of this."
Advertisement
Blathnaid spoke about how to lighten the load saying: "You need to pause. You need to look after yourself better.
"Like you can really, really help your symptoms by getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, exercising, understand what triggers you.
"You can get hyper focused on something and then something will just grab your attention and that is something that happens with ADHD. And you have to just try and focus.
FAN SUPPORT
"But once you understand that your brain is the way it is, everything just sort of falls into place a little bit. Life makes so much more sense again.
Advertisement
"You learn how to deal with certain situations better. It's been hugely transformative for me."
A segment of the interview was shared on The Six O'Clock Show's Instagram page and the comment section was flooded with support.
Emily wrote: "Well done for sharing your story Blathnaid."
Roisin said: "Maith thú Blathnaid."
Advertisement
3
Blathnaid's fans have praised her on opening up
Credit: Reuters

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Paralympic champion rumoured to be new coach on RTE's Ireland's Fittest Family
Paralympic champion Ellen Keane has reportedly signed up as a new coach on RTE's Ireland's Fittest Family as the show undergoes a major revamp. The gold medallist swimmer became Ireland's youngest ever athlete when she swam in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and has remained at the top of her game ever since, winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The former Dancing With The Stars contestant announced her retirement in 2024, saying at the time: 'How lucky am I to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard. 'A night of smiling, a night of love & friendship, a night of being incredibly proud to be Irish. 'Thank you Michael for sharing this experience with me. Thank you to my teammates for cheering SO loud that it was so easy to find you in the crowd. Thank you to the Paralympic community for being my home for so long.' A show insider revealed that Ellen has now signed up to be a coach on the 13th series of the RTE One hit show, which is hosted by 2FM star Laura Fox. She is rumoured to be the latest coach, alongside a former Dublin footballer, who has yet to be revealed. Ellen will join coaches Davy Fitzgerald, Anna Geary, Donncha O'Callaghan and Sonia O'Sullivan. It comes in the wake of Anna teasing major changes to the format. She told the RTE Guide last month: 'Oh, wait until people find out what's happening in Ireland's Fittest Family! 'No, I'm not going to be the person to let the cat out of the bag because I'll absolutely be taken down by the production team. 'But what I will say is never before has what is about to happen, happened on the show. 'Let me tell you, as a coach, I was more shocked than anybody. 'There are big changes, big twists, you're going to see a changed format, new locations. Oh my God! It's going to completely shake things up.' Last season, the Cummins family from Kilkenny, coached by hurling legend Davy Fitzgerald, took home the crown. Dad Paul said of their win: 'What an unbelievable experience taking part in Ireland's Fittest Family has been. 'As individuals, we have had success, representing our country in multiple sports, but to compete with zero expectations except to give it a good go. The air date for the new series has not yet been released but it will be streamed on RTE Player and RTE One. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.


The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
RTE star reveals mistake he ‘never told his wife before' and admits ‘I was so afraid she'd find out'
RTE star Carl Mullan has revealed a mistake he "never told his wife before". The 2FM host and his wife Aisling have been married since April 2022 and the pair have three kids together Daibhi, four, Éala, one, and seven-month-old Béibhínn. Advertisement 3 Carl made a parenting confession Credit: Instagram 3 Aisling was in fits of laughter at Carl's admission Credit: Instagram Carl and Aisling recently launched their very own podcast called How Are Ya Lovie?. On the most recent episode, the dad-of-three wanted to get something off his chest that he had been holding in for years. Speaking to Aisling, he said: "Can I tell you something now that I've never told you before? "It was during Covid when Davy was born. So you were all washing your bloody shopping and everything and wiping it all down." Advertisement Carl then revealed that he "opened the wrong pack" of wipes and instead of using baby wipes on his son, he used an antibacterial one when changing his nappy. Aisling remarked: "No wonder why his skin is so sensitive." Carl explained how stressed it made him saying: "No and in fairness I remember the next day his a** was red raw and I was so afraid to tell you. "I was like she's gonna kick my a**. She's going to absolutely kill me'. Advertisement "And every day you'd call my name, I was like 'She's found out, she's figured it out. I don't know how but she's figured it out'." The couple's friends and fans were all left in stitches by the story. Carl Mullan 'calls out' Dermot Bannon for wrong home advice Stacey commented: "Brilliant." Devra said: "Too funny." Advertisement Karen commented: "The things we do and don't tell our partners, the closet full of secrets, absolutely gas." SAD GOODBYE The Dublin native presented the 2FM breakfast show alongside Doireann Garrihy and Donncha O'Callaghan from 2021 to 2024. Back in May 2024, Doireann announced she would be taking a step back from the station in a shock twist. Just one month later, Donncha followed suit, quitting the broadcaster to focus on other projects. Advertisement Carl has remained on the breakfast show ever since and now presents the popular series alongside travel guru Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner. But the favourite recently opened up about the emotional toll of losing two of his closest pals from the airwaves — revealing he feared their friendship was done and dusted. The 34-year-old told the RTE Guide: 'From my point of view, I was upset that two people I'd become very close to were leaving. "Donncha, Doireann and I had managed to land on something with that show that was very special.' Advertisement


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Trying to be your child's best friend is destructive, warns top Irish psychotherapist as he reveals top 5 parenting tips
A TOP psychotherapist has warned of the dangers of being your child's BFF, saying: 'It's destructive.' Dad-of-three Richard Hogan — author of best-seller Home is Where the Start is — insists it's 'very important' to avoid this approach to parenting. 4 Top psychotherapist Richard Hogan with his wife Erica and their kids Credit: social media collects 4 Richard offered advice on RTE's Raised by the Village show which featured Olivia and Joe Morrissey's Rostellan Farm Credit: PR Handout 4 Richard will feature at the Irish Sun's Parenting Unplugged event on September 14 Credit: The Irish Sun The Cork expert explained: 'A lot of parents today didn't feel validated growing up and so they think, 'I'm going to be really present in my child's life,' which is a nice desire. 'But wanting to be their best friend is a destructive desire, because you cannot be your child's best friend when they are eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16. 'You can have a deep relationship with them, but a best friend doesn't say 'brush your teeth'. 'A best friend doesn't say 'you have to go to bed' or 'you're not having a second chocolate bar'. A best friend might say, 'go on, throw that brick through the window'. 'They're the ones encouraging you, and you're confiding in them, telling them things. That's what a best friend is.' Richard, who will be a panellist at The Irish Sun's Parenting Unplugged event on September 14, said there needs to be a difference between parent and best friend for the dynamic to work long-term. He added: 'There needs to be a distinction. Your child doesn't want you to be their best friend. 'They might say they do, but that's often because they're trying to manipulate you.' Richard, who has Hannah, 14, Lizzy, 11, and eight-year-old Sophie with wife Erica, said the teenage years bring new challenges as kids begin to 'naturally push away'. He added: 'I never position myself as an expert living a perfect life — I'm just a parent trying to figure things out, like everyone else. BIGGEST CHALLENGE 'As a parent, my biggest challenge right now is staying connected to my teenager as she naturally pushes away to spend time with friends and focus on her phone. 'I want her to have freedom but also remind her to avoid major mistakes while still having fun. I was wild enough as a teenager, and I want her to enjoy life and learn from any mistakes she makes.' Richard, who is registered with the Family Therapy Association of Ireland and offers advice on RTE's Raised by the Village, continued: 'Managing social media and screen time is a constant challenge. 'Social media is highly addictive, with recommender systems feeding them problematic content. 'I set boundaries — no screens between 4pm and 7pm, and limited use after that. TOP FIVE PARENTING TIPS Understand your own childhood experiences and forgive those who couldn't meet your needs. Set a clear family culture and values early to avoid an inverted hierarchy. Expect children to make mistakes and learn from them. Establish boundaries with your kids and enforce them consistently. ( And remember, you are not your child's best friend — your role is to guide and parent them. 'It's important to establish a policy to avoid chaos. Without rules, children can end up living without structure, which becomes problematic as they grow older. 'When my children are off their screens, we engage in activities like playing camogie, swimming, going to the beach, cycling, and walking. Dinner is a no-technology zone where we all chat, and we watch programmes like Planet Earth. 'There are plenty of times during the day without technology, and then they have a little time for it.' And in this age of tech, Richard said parents must also be alert to the signs of cyberbullying — as it can often be 'subtle'. 'SIGNIFICANT ISSUE' He explained: 'Cyberbullying is a significant issue. In my day, if someone bullied you, it was face-to-face, and you could walk away. 'Now, it follows children everywhere via their devices. Cyberbullying can be subtle — being excluded from a group or game, for example — and it's very painful. 'Parents must watch for signs such as changes in peer group dynamics, withdrawal, disrupted sleep, or excessive gaming without social interaction. Parents often ask how to get their children off their phones. I tell them that if the child wasn't on the phone, what would they be doing? 'It's important for parents to take responsibility for creating alternatives. My own children might play Roblox occasionally, but it's not their main activity. We ensure they have plenty of opportunities for real-world experiences. REACTION CAN BE VITAL 'Bullying, whether online or offline, is something most children will experience. How parents react can make the difference between their child thriving or suffering. 'Parents must be mindful of their own past traumas and avoid projecting them onto their child's experiences. Building resilience in children is key — helping them understand that negative comments don't define them.' And Richard revealed he puts his kids through 'bully school' to help make them more resilient in the real world. 'You can have a deep relationship with them, but a best friend doesn't say 'brush your teeth'." Richard Hogan He said: 'When they face issues, parents should see these as learning moments, guiding them with questions rather than solving everything for them. 'I use techniques like 'bully school' with my children to help them build emotional immunity to negative comments. Teaching children to be authentic and assertive is vital, especially for girls, who are often socialised to be agreeable. EXPERT KID TIPS AT OUR BRUNCH PARENTING Unplugged is a Sunday brunch event for parents of all kinds. Hosted by Dublin Q102's — and fellow parent — Kathryn Thomas, it will be a relaxed, lively, laughter-filled morning featuring expert advice, relatable anecdotes, and plenty of crowd interaction. From toddler tantrums over food to teenage tech battles, and everything in between, this is a parenting event with no preaching — and some delicious brunch nibbles. Irish Sun Editor Fiona Wynne said: 'We are delighted to bring parents together for Parenting Unplugged, hosted by the brilliant Kathryn Thomas. It's going to be a fun, relaxed morning with expert advice, honest conversation, and a few laughs along the way. 'We've brought together an incredible panel who aren't just experts — they're real parents with relatable stories, practical tips and plenty of personality. 'It's a chance for mums and dads to connect, share experiences, and take away something helpful — a fresh perspective or just the reassurance that they are not alone.' Parenting Unplugged takes place on Sunday, September 14, in House, Dublin, from 11am-1pm. Tickets are now available on here 'Resilience and independence are important traits to nurture, as they lead to greater success and happiness in life. Children should be encouraged to say no and stand up for themselves.' Richard also told how avoiding competition between siblings is also paramount for a good childhood. CELEBRATE INDIVIDUALITY He explained: 'When parenting, it's important to celebrate children's individuality. I tell my children, 'I love you the same amount, but for different reasons', to avoid competition between them. This helps them feel valued for who they are.' And Richard feels parents having regular alone time for hobbies, exercise or a chat with a friend is also vital for 'healthy families'. He added: 'Parents should set aside time for themselves every day, even if it's just half an hour for a walk or jog. Healthy families spend time together but also allow for independence and personal growth.'