Cork Profile: Aron Hegarty - actor and storyteller

When you were small, what did you want to be as a grown-up?

I used to say I wanted to be a traveller but I didn’t know that also meant itinerant! I just meant I wanted to travel the world, and work at something interesting while doing so. I used to mimic characters I saw on telly or impersonate accents I heard from far off places. I always found people interesting. Looking back, the signs were there early on that I’d be working with stories. A story can take you anywhere in the world….

What is the most enjoyable aspect of what you do?

Connection with an audience of complete strangers. There’s that moment in a story when the emotional high point lands – whether it's on stage, like recently in ‘Making History’ (I played the hyperactive Hugh O'Donnell) which was on in the Everyman recently, or telling an ancient Irish myth or any story really. Feeling the silence in the room, the connection, and you know everyone’s leaning in just a little closer and feeling it with you. That’s magic.

What motivates you?

Building community. And finding meaningful connections through the work that interests me. Storytelling is about making sense of things, of life, of loss, of love—and offering that to others. I’ve had my fair share of personal injuries and setbacks that made me question the path I was on. Yoga, breathwork, and gym work gave me a way to rebuild—not just physically, but mentally.

Telling stories with Candlelit Tales kept me creatively alive during dry spells in acting.

While working closely with the Gaelic Woodland Project to help restore Ireland's native woodlands has given me a project with purpose to focus on. It's all about finding ways to stay inspired, keep going, keep creating and backing yourself. Also knowing that discipline beats motivation every day helps! Stay disciplined because motivation comes and goes like the tides.

What advice would you give your 15 year old self?

Trust the weird passions. That obsession with Irish myth, those random character voices and accents you act out when no one’s watching—that’s not strange, that’s your thing. Keep at it. And lift weights more too; squats, split squats, and deadlifts are your best friends, and your knees will thank you later!

If you weren’t in the job you have, what would you be doing?

Well, I’m lucky to be just off a job right now—and as an actor, that’s the sweetest thing in the world. But the reality of the career is that it’s never just one thing. Every actor has to diversify and build resilience, and thankfully I’ve built a life where the work never really stops.

Between acting gigs, I can do substitute teaching in primary schools when it suits me. I run online courses for people interested in Irish mythology and storytelling—helping people find their voice, whether through workshops or one-to-one mentoring, is something I really love. I also teach yoga (check out Fado Yoga on IG for a shameless plug). I teach in groups and one-to-one also.

And then there’s Candlelit Tales—my constant creative outlet. When other jobs dry up, there’s always something to work on there: podcasts, online courses, school shows, private bookings, public shows, relentless admin, the book, or the stream of social media and TikTok videos that went viral recently. The many colours of that work keep me engaged and focused, but you can burn out easily too as it’s never ending and sometimes overwhelming.

If it all goes completely sideways though, I might run off to South America and open a farm-to-table restaurant like my big brother—or just jump on his bandwagon and wash the dishes.

What is your greatest life or career achievement to-date?

There have been a few proud moments—performing on big stages, being on the telly and being in big named shows—but personally building my own company with my sister, Candlelit Tales, from scratch since 2014. Seeing it grow from pub gigs to podcasts to full house shows and a soon to be published first book, that’s been a deeply personal achievement. I’ve received some beautiful handmade gifts, art, and emails from people who have been affected by our retellings. It's a creative home I can always return to, no matter what.

Who has had the biggest influence on you in your life?

That’s a tough one—there have been many. But I’d have to say my father, Tony Hegarty. I’ve been lucky to have strong support from both my parents in my artistic path, but my dad’s influence runs deep. He’s a psychotherapist and we share a curiosity about the human mind and the stories we carry.

What’s always inspired me is the way he lives—with intention, creativity, and a high priority on his self-care. He sings every day, exercises judiciously, walks in nature, works in service to others in need of psychological care, and he’s not above stepping outside to hug the great oak tree in our back garden that he planted himself. There’s a beautiful groundedness in how he moves through life—a gentle strength I try to bring into my own work and way of being.

Performing recently in Brian Friel’s ‘Making History’ was especially meaningful for our family. Our ancestors, like many Cork families, came down from Donegal for the Battle of Kinsale, so to be telling this story on stage, and to see how deeply it moved my father, has felt like a powerful full-circle moment, and a form of processing an old transgenerational trauma that has lingered in our family for generations.

What is the life dream now?

To keep telling stories—in whatever form they take. Acting, teaching, performing, writing, and ideally getting to travel while doing so—I still want to be a traveller I suppose. Sharing Irish mythology with more people, in more places, is a big part of that dream. We’ve just written our first Candlelit Tales book, ‘Celtic Mythology’ and it's available for pre order from our website and is out this August! So, I’d love to keep writing more versions of my favourite myths.

I want to keep creating and keep myself fit and healthy so I’m ready for whatever opportunities come my way—whether that’s bringing Candlelit Tales to international stages or even to TV someday. A big part of the dream, too, is to see more and more people getting involved in the reforestation of Ireland. Reconnecting with the land, and restoring what’s been lost, feels deeply tied to the stories we tell. There is a Celtic Revival happening in Ireland right now, and I’ve never felt more proud to be Irish.

Through it all, I hope to stay grounded, connected to community, and living a life that feels balanced and full.

How do you switch off?

By rolling out my yoga mat and saying… just ten minutes! I might be there for more than an hour then. Staring at the sky and just naming the colours I see helps to ground me when I'm busy or stuck in a city. But the real switch off is a walk in nature (the more native the trees the better) or a dunk in the sea or an ice cold lake. That switches me right into the present. I’m also a sauna addict so, anywhere there's a sauna near the sea you might find me.

What is your favourite Cork memory?

One memory I love to revisit is playing my very first role—Fagin in Cloghroe National School’s production of ‘Oliver’, performed in the Inniscarra GAA hall. My brother Neal, who’s seven years older and was my idol growing up, rushed backstage at the interval—he couldn’t even wait until the end of the play. I’ll never forget the shock on his face as he almost lifted me up and said, “You’re doing it! This is amazing!”, or something to that effect… I think he was just genuinely surprised to see me doing something he hadn’t expected—and maybe something he couldn’t do then. The laughter from the crowd gave me my first real buzz of performance, and I was hooked.

That, or the All-Ireland victory in 2005, but honestly any time Cork win a hurling match and I’m there to witness it in the sea of red feels special.

What is your favourite place in Cork?

Ah…. there's too many to mention! I used to caddy on the Old Head of Kinsale, and that coastline is unreal! I love going west, and Barleycove is my favourite beach in the world let alone Cork. But… if I had to pick just one… the Mullinhassig Waterfall has a special place in my heart. There’s something timeless about the woods there. Like the old stories might still be whispered among the trees if you’re quiet enough. And swimming under that waterfall will knock your senses into you!

Do you have a favourite quote or motto?

“Say it. Say it. The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” – Muriel Rukeyser from her breathtaking poem ‘The Speed of Darkness’.

Second favourite is: “Keep her lit”, but I don’t know who said that first…

When are you at your happiest?

On stage, in the middle of a live show, when the audience is right there with me. Or after a well-earned break in the middle of the sea, staring at the horizon and reminding myself that everything will be OK... even when the world is in chaos.

What is your hidden talent?

Trad musicians will probably hate this answer, but I picked up the bodhrán in my twenties, and I got pretty handy at it. So, I love to play the bodhrán while improvising a story, live, in front of kids, especially, because they are the most honest audiences you’ll ever get. If you can keep a gaggle of children quiet for a half hour, it’s very rewarding. And having a bodhrán helps with that too.

What might we be surprised to know about you?

Despite being on stage a lot, I’ve battled serious self-doubt. Injuries, burnout, and creative blocks that all made me question if I could keep going. But each time, I found ways to heal—through movement, through myth, and through community and through chopping down cherry laurel (an invasive species that shouldn’t be sold in garden centres). You can look up the Gaelic Woodland Project for more surprises like that.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

As I said above, I’ve never been more proud to be Irish than I am right now. It's a shocking time to be alive and there is no peace to be had for many countries. But to see the outpour of solidarity with the Palestinian people undergoing occupation, dehumanization, and genocide right now… As an artist, or as a human with empathy, it can feel very hard to be even anyway optimistic about the world right now.

Lastly, if you ever want to escape into myth, find a Candlelit Tales podcast online or check out our website or social media (Candlelit Tales) to hear more about Irish mythology and check out a live gig of ours soon. My sister and I will be taking to the Everyman stage on as well pretty soon, with the full band playing backing, for one night only, as we are planning to tell the mythology that surrounds the O’Neil clan and the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages. It’ll be like watching the prequel to ‘Making History’.