Cork author: 'It’s one thing to get diagnosed with ADHD, it's another to get it all down on paper'

The call came in just before Christmas of 2024 - it was Ken Kilbride, CEO of ADHD Ireland, a charity and community group advocating for people of all ages dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

I’d done some speaking and hosting with the organisation before for some of its Leeside events, as a diagnosed ADHDer myself and someone working in the media, but didn’t quite know what he might be ringing about.

A book, he said - I was to expect a call from Síne Quinn, an editor at the Merrion Press who’d been working on the idea for some time.

I wasn’t about to say ‘no’ to being asked to help assemble a guide to ADHD in Ireland, but the thoughts of the scale and possible logistics of the proposition were also overwhelming - a common feeling in the lives of ADHDers, dealing as we do with issues in executive function and getting daily tasks done.

When Síne rang the next day, the core idea came together fairly lively - a guide to ADHD in Ireland, at a time when conversation and awareness around ADHD were beginning to gather pace.

But did they realise they were asking someone with a neurodevelopmental difference - affecting their ability to handle rote tasks on a sustained basis, retain information, manage time, and manage the ups and downs of hyperfocus and inattention alike - to get 50,000 words together and navigate the complexities of writing, editing, releasing, and publicising a whole book?

In that same instant, I knew exactly who to call, to ask if she would be interested in lending her experience, expertise and insight to the project.

Ailín Kennedy is a force of nature unto herself. We first met on Cork’s recession-era music scene years prior - I, as a general blogging/gig-running dogsbody, and she as a member of various bands as a bassist - and in the intervening years, she had lived numerous lives, from veterinary studies, to guest-vocalist for popular video game-inspired metallers Miracle of Sound, to athletic pursuits, and her current position, qualifying and working as a neurodivergence coach, helping others with executive function issues in putting structure and support into their daily lives.

When Ailín began discussing her ADHD journey on Instagram at her @ailsdhd page, she was one of the first people to point me in the right direction and advise me on seeking referral, assessment and diagnosis for ASD1 (formerly known as Asperger’s) and ADHD.

The bones of the book, even then bearing its final title, Have I Got Your Attention?, were assembled quickly over dinner at Izz Café in Cork city.

Rather than just refer to our own experiences and call it a day, we had split the book into three parts - the basic information, the facts around seeking and getting a formal diagnosis in Ireland, and the ways in which ADHD interacts with different aspects of life, from relationships and family care, to work, study and travel, including tips and tricks that we and our friends had assembled, and insights from ADHD interviewees. The realities of assembling an entire book, however, weren’t exactly in line with the glamourous ideas held by many people - balancing the process with work, relationships, family, friends, and other pursuits, with brains already in need of different approaches to big projects than the average, was tough going sometimes.

After getting a steady start on my own portions of the book, including introductions, definitions, and touching on wider conversations around life as an ADHDer, I took several weeks off to deal with mental-health issues, which naturally impacted my progress.

Thankfully, Ails’ combination of enthusiasm, hard graft and an enviable collection of research compiled for her day-job saw her continue her end of the bargain, supplying the hard science, conducting interviews, and putting shape on the practical aspects of treatment and management for readers.

We rolled our sleeves up as time, health, and ability allowed, and with the goal of creating an ADHD guide with an Irish voice in mind - one that addressed ADHD in the context of social and economic challenges that confront ADHDers in a society like Ireland’s in particular - we ploughed on.

Nine interviewees, complete read-throughs with medical experts, and the nod from Ken Kilbride later, we finally managed to get the book across, just in time for the Christmas 2025 break, and just ahead of a January spent on final refinements and revisions.

It’s one thing to get diagnosed with ADHD, deal with the equal grief and relief that accompanies it, and make those adjustments in your own perception, from patience with yourself, to being present and advocating for others in your life.

It’s quite another to get it all down on paper, in context, and seek help from others in illuminating your points and assertions - but we feel we’ve done it.

It’s early days for wider acceptance of ADHD and other neurodivergences in Ireland, and the conversations are bound to change and evolve, but we hope we’ve assembled as much information as we could possibly cram into one book, laid it out as accessibly as possible, and presented it in a way that’s approachable and relatable to people, whether they’re curious about themselves, or seeking to understand the experiences of a loved one.

It belongs to everyone now, and we hope everyone gets what they need from it.

• Have I Got Your Attention?: A Guide to Adult ADHD in Ireland’, co-written by Mike McGrath-Bryan and Ailín Kennedy, is available now in all good bookshops. The book launches in Cork on Thursday, April 9, at Dubray Books, Patrick Street, at 6.30pm, admission is free, and all are welcome.