Claire McIlraith was born in Yorkshire, UK and moved with her parents Cape Town, South Africa before she was one year old. She completed her education at Camps Bay High School in 1986 and subsequently worked for some 16 years in the film industry in South Africa where she started out as a Set Decorator. As her career progressed she took on more challenging roles as Art Department Co-ordinator and Art Director.
As the demands of parenthood naturally led to the need for more regular working hours than those offered in the film business, Claire gladly accepted a new position with a retail advertising agency in Cape Town, where she learned new skills in client liaison and account management. In 2006 she migrated to Ireland with her two teenage children, Jack and Seanne, to look for a new way of life. Adapting to her new circumstances, Claire felt fortunate to be offered a junior sales role at a Dublin Media Publishing House, where she worked for over 4 years progressing to the position of Sales Operations Manager. After being made redundant last year, she has spent the last few months on a digital media course to enhance her computer skills in this new digital age!
On most weekends you can find Claire, walking in the Wicklow hills, breathing the country air and looking for a four leaf clover… or just taking photographs. She is inspired by the magical Irish landscape and megalithic history and has settled happily with her adored children on the island of Ireland.
