Latest news with #CircusGerbola
Irish Examiner
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Meet the 14-year-old Irish girl spending her summer as a circus aerial acrobat
This summer, while your average teenager might be happy with the odd babysitting gig, one 14-year-old has found a more unconventional way to earn some much-needed pocket money — flying through the air as an aerial acrobat. Isabella Gerbola made her big top debut last year as one of Ireland's youngest circus acrobats. From a young age she had been limbering up with splits and backflips while dreaming of performing with her family's business, Circus Gerbola. Now, since she got her summer holidays, her days have been spent performing up and down the country — wowing audiences young and old. The act, she says, has been a long time in the making. According to her circus colleagues, Isabella has spent years gathering inspiration for her signature aerial moves. Isabella's dad, Mikey Gerbola, took a wrong turning 14 years ago when bringing her mum, Tara, to maternity hospital so Isabella made her first appearance in the world in the family's 4x4. Picture: Chani Anderson Many of them joke that Isabella was born to be a star. The third-year student of Athboy Community School in Meath hit the headlines shortly after she was born in a 4X4 while en route to the Coombe Hospital. Her father, Mikey Gerbola, pulled over after taking a wrong turn in Blanchardstown in the early hours of New Year's Day, 2011. However, he ended up having to deliver the baby himself after things moved much faster than expected. Isabella continues to astound her father Mikey and mum Tara to this day as her star in the circus world is continuing to rise. The teen admits she doesn't want her summer holidays to end. 'When I'm at school all I really want to do is go home to the circus,' she told the Irish Examiner. 'I was born into the circus so I'd like to stay in it. One day this circus will be passed on to my brothers and I. It's where I always want to be.' 14-year-old Isabella Gerbola who is one of Ireland's youngest circus acrobats. Picture: Dan Linehan Isabella says she loves the buzz she gets from the audience when swooping through the air. 'I don't know what I love most about the aerial act. It's great to have good feedback from the audience. If a show is full then you tend to get a lot more clapping. When it's emptier on the other hand, people don't tend to interact as much. It really gives you a boost when you have a lively audience and that makes you feel more confident. "It's always nice to hear that someone loved the show and enjoyed your act.' Isabella enjoys the freedom of the circus ring and of being a performer. 'I wouldn't say I'm a different person in the ring but it does allow me to express myself more. The only time I get stage fright is when I'm adding a trick or something new to my act. I'm always really hoping that I'll get it right.' 14-year-old Isabella Gerbola: 'I really love moving around because you get to see so many places that you wouldn't normally see. For me that's the best part... There's a lovely beach in Achill and I enjoy the amusements in Tramore.' Picture: Dan Linehan She said the best thing about circus is the opportunity it gives her to travel. 'It might get boring without the travelling. I really love moving around because you get to see so many places that you wouldn't normally see. For me that's the best part. 'I remember during covid I really missed that part of it. Every place we go has something different. "There's a lovely beach in Achill and I enjoy the amusements in Tramore. 'I've met so many people from all over the world through circus who have become lifelong friends.' Isabella, who has two older brothers named Blake and Michael, said many important life events have been celebrated in the ring. 14-year-old Isabella Gerbola who is one of Ireland's youngest circus acrobats chatting with Talia. Picture: Dan Linehan 'Halloween parties, Christmas parties, engagement parties, and baby showers have all been celebrated in the ring. We set out tables and everybody brings food. It's really nice to see the ring all lit up with lights.' Circus Gerbola's general manager David Fitzgerald praised Isabella adding: 'No matter how many times you practice beforehand, performing in front of a huge crowd is a frightening thing. 'From the time she was watching the show from her buggy, Isabella has grown up with some of the biggest circus stars in the world and performed under her family's big top. 'It's great to see Isabella fulfilling her destiny.'
Irish Examiner
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Clowning around: Ireland's oldest working clown on life in the Big Top
The country's oldest working clown has revealed how he swapped life in the Big Top for a regular nine to five, but the 'groundhog nature' of the job had him rushing back to his greasepaint. Mikey Gerbola has been clowning around now for more than half a century and is showing no sign of slowing down. The 58-year-old, who performs with Circus Gerbola, said he and his wife Tara tried working regular jobs in the past, but were both miserable. 'I went truck driving while she worked in the cash office in Tesco. We were in good jobs that paid well. 'About a year and a quarter in, she told me she couldn't do it anymore. I was relieved because I felt the exact same way. It was the same thing every day. The whole thing felt like Groundhog Day. "With circus every day is different. Every day is a challenge. It's like moving a business to a different town every day.' Mikey begin performing as a clown from the age of four, but it was as an eight-year-old that he got his big break in the Big Top, performing full-time. In the wings, beneath the high wire, Mikey Gerbola quietly watches the young performers in his troop wow the audience with their high-flying act. Picture: Chani Anderson 'I started clowning when I was eight but I was doing it well before that. I had two uncle-in-laws who were Spanish that I really admired. "You would always see me there waiting outside the ring for the moment that they called me. "I was only four at the time, but they picked me to perform once a week. "They would put a hat on my head and a cigarette in my mouth. "The act involved them knocking the hat off my head with juggling clubs. "You're basically a stooge or a prop until you learn your trade and do dialogue." 'I went full-time from the age of eight. I learned everything in the circus from the trapeze to roller-skating.' Pay and pensions aside, life in the Big Top brings it own rewards, according to Mikey, who calls Navan, Co Meath, home when he is not touring. "I feel like I make a difference. Kids come up to me and give me a hug. You can't pay for memories like that. People who know me my whole life still remember my first act. Mikey begin performing as a clown from the age of four, but it was as an eight-year-old that he got his big break in the Big Top, performing full-time. Picture: Chani Anderson "One lady came up to me and told me she was so touched by my performance it made her cry. I'm never going to be famous or a millionaire but I have touched a lot of people in the last 50 years. Knowing that is what keeps me going. The showman, whose children Blake Dean, Michael Cole, and Isabella are all involved in the business, hopes that circuses will continue to thrive for generations to come. 'My ancestors were the founders of circus. I have posters and pictures dating back to the 1700s. "How long I go on will depend on how long I live. I'll do it for as long as I can. "Circus people don't retire. They just die.' Circus Gerbola is currently touring different locations in Cork
