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Irish Examiner

My Life with Emma Quirke: 'I represented Ireland as a competitive puzzler'

As a little girl who devoured jigsaws I never imagined I would one day have the chance to represent my country as a competitive puzzler. Last April, I realised a lifelong dream after scooping first prize in the solo category of the inaugural UK National Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Bradford. I completed a 500-piece puzzle in a record time of 41 minutes and 55 seconds. My personal best leading up to that was fourth place in the semi-finals of the World Jigsaw Puzzle championships in Valladolid, Spain. My dad almost sobbed with pride. Since I was very small, my talent for jigsaws has been a source of fascination within my family. At four years old, it proved difficult to find a puzzle that challenged me. Not content with the traditional way, I began doing them upside down and at lightning speed. My parents started buying me harder jigsaws. By the time I was six, I was completing puzzles with a thousand pieces. However, I never thought it could turn into a competitive pastime. When I was in secondary school, the emphasis was predominantly on football and soccer. I suppose, in a way, puzzling is a sport too, but it wouldn't be considered your typical hobby. Realistically, I never thought that jigsaws would give me the chance to see the world. As a teenager, I largely kept my jigsaws a secret from everyone with the exception of my family. I never fell out of love with them and completed one most days after school. Years went by and a friend sent me a video about the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. I signed up and the rest is history. Since participating, I've gained so much confidence. I'm much more open to talking about jigsaw puzzles and that's down to a lot of reasons. Champion jigsaw maker Emma Quirke with a jigsaw from her appearance on BBC. Picture Dan Linehan When I first started competing, I appeared on BBC News. Hollywood star Hugh Jackman shared a video of a few of us doing puzzles for the worlds on his Instagram stories. It was nice to see that someone with so many talents would be proud of us. In the months that followed, I grew so much in confidence. In my role as a primary school teacher at Lacken National school in Blessington, Co Wicklow, I try my best to support my pupils in whatever they feel most passionate about. I want them to be able to follow their dreams just like I did. Jigsaw puzzles have opened up my eyes to the fact that there is more to life than what we see and are exposed to every day. The children support me too. Many of them tune in to watch me compete via a livestream. They cheer me on and make me cards. My enthusiasm has rubbed off on them as members of the school jigsaw club can attest. It's nice to be able to teach the kids who aren't sporty that there are other ways they can shine. We now have 20 members. The sessions are always really fun and it's so cute to see the kids all working together. It has been great for their self-esteem. Moreover, jigsaws are beneficial for so many aspects of a child's development. They are brilliant for children of all ages as they promote fine motor skills. They are also great for memory. IT IS not just the kids who support my pastime. I have 200 jigsaw puzzles in my home, but my housemate Elizabeth doesn't mind. Rather than asking me to get rid of them, she has started joining in. She sees the energy I pour into every one of them. Champion jigsaw maker Emma Quirke at her home in Killarney, Co Kerry. Picture Dan Linehan The largest puzzle I have completed to date is a 5,000-piece jigsaw. The picture is of seashells and it's a bit all over the place. I prefer the images to be higgledy-piggledy rather than your usual landscape because it's more of a challenge. I try to do a puzzle every day. When you get to a point where you're fast and you can compare your times with other people it's quite fun. I'm part of the Irish Jigsaw Puzzle Association, where I get to meet with people from all walks of life with an interest in puzzling. The skill is still quite niche even though there is a broadened awareness now. People are often quite surprised to learn I do puzzling. At first, they don't understand what is involved or how it works. When I explain how I do it they are always quite impressed. I think a lot of the time, they are shocked to see that both my hands are working so fast. Hand-eye coordination is a really important element of puzzling. When you are working with children, you have to be quite patient and focused and a lot of that would transfer. Puzzles are an escapism. Jigsaws throw you out of the world for a while. All you can think about is that puzzle. If there's one thing jigsaws have taught me it's how to live in the moment.