Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Nobody could ever accuse actress and all-round funny woman Norma Sheahan of being boring. “I’m one letter short of normal,” she says with a chuckle as she outlines the background to her latest show which visits Galway City on February 16 and Clifden on March 13.

It’s Wine O’Clock is  a one-woman show in which Norma recounts – dramatically and humorously – her experiences of returning to the dating scene a couple of years ago, following her divorce. This was a steep learning curve as, unlike her younger days, it’s a world where apps rule.

But first, the divorce, “the fastest and most peaceful in Irish history”, which took five months from start to finish.

She and her ex-husband got divorced on their 23rd anniversary, “exactly to the moment we were married”, says Norma, adding that the judge was highly amused by the timing. It was totally coincidental, as a slot for a hearing had become available that day.

There was no major drama around their parting: “We had passed our best-before date,” she explains. Later, she observes, “we had stopped making each other laugh”.

In her late 40s, and determined that “50 is the new 30”, Norma decided it was time to embrace being single once more. She was supported in this by her teenage daughters – a fourteen-year-old and twins of 17 – and by her younger sister.

While neither she nor her husband had been unfaithful during their marriage, Norma’s ex moved on pretty quickly after they divorced, forming a new, lasting relationship. Norma’s situation was different.

“I met someone for five minutes and then he dumped me,” she says. So, it was time for another plan.

“My sister and GP gave me a tutorial about going on the app and having the f**k-ready kit; a razor, condoms and chewing gum,” she laughs, describing this time as “my mid-life climax, as opposed to a crisis!”

Norma is off that dating app now and doesn’t intend to have a longterm relationship, saying “I’m not sharing my bed with a farty, snoring gobshite”. But she’s glad she experienced online dating – weird though many of her experiences were.

Pictured: Norma Sheahan: ‘If you came out of a 22-year marriage that was stale, you’d want to see if you still had a heartbeat.’