Westport native Claire Grady started her career in journalism in the Mayo News and, over a 30 year career in newspaper journalism, worked in the Dublin-based Echo newspapers, the Evening Herald, Sunday Tribune and Irish Independent. She worked as a news reporter, news editor, commissioning editor and finally as editor of the Herald and editor of the Irish Independent.  An occasional contributor to radio and television news programmes, Claire is currently working in communications for a state agency. An avid reader, she’s been turning up at the Rolling Sun Festival for the last few years.