A woman who met her birth mother many years after her adoption has described the experience as “traumatic” and “unbelievably awkward”. 

Comedian Dara Ó Briain recently met his birth mother for the first time, motivated by a desire to tell her that his life had turned out “okay”. 

Despite this, he said the encounter felt “awkward” and “unusual”. 

On Lunchtime Live, Clodagh Malone said Ó Briain’s experience sounded “100%” like her own. 

“I had this kind of Cinderella kind of idea - perhaps looking to replace a woman I could never replace,” she said. 

“I did meet my mother and she had been looking for me. 

“We met quite quickly and it was just, I can’t say a horrible experience because it was just so lovely to meet the woman that gave birth to me and I looked like. 

“We had similar mannerisms but I met a total stranger that day.”

Little in common

The pair met 24-years after Ms Malone was put up for adoption and the pair quickly realised they had very little areas of mutual interest. 

“She was eating prawns and I don’t like prawns,” she said. 

“You’re going, ‘Just give me something.’

“She was a champion Irish dancer, I have two left feet when it comes to Irish dancing.”

Overall, Ms Malone remembers the meeting as “traumatic” and “unbelievably awkward”. 

“When I left her, I actually had a full blown panic attack,” she said. 

“I couldn’t find my car at Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre - I was not prepared whatsoever.” 

'I wouldn’t have been so devastated'

The pair did not meet again for another decade and Ms Malone is convinced that reunions between birth families can be better planned and organised. 

For many years, people adopted in Ireland had no right to access their adoption records and the State made it difficult for them to track their birth families.  

“So almost when you’re told you can’t do something, you rebel and you do do it,” Ms Malone said. 

“That’s why so many reunions didn’t work out because it wasn’t done the right way. 

“If it was done the right way in this country… and you were given at 18 [all the details], I wouldn’t have been so devastated or panic stricken when I met her.” 

In 2022, the Birth Information and Tracing Act was passed into law, giving people who are adopted the right to their birth certificates and other early life information.

Main image: Clodagh Malone. Image: Supplied.