Norah Casey facts for kids

Norah Casey is a well-known Irish businesswoman. She is also a magazine publisher, a television personality, and a broadcaster. Norah was born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 28, 1960.

Norah Casey's Early Life

Norah Casey grew up in a small house in Phoenix Park in Dublin. Her father and grandfather both worked as park rangers there.

When she was younger, Norah spent some time working at Dublin Zoo. She helped care for gorillas in the zoo's special quarantine area. Norah says this early experience helped her love animals even more. Today, she works with groups around the world that protect animals. She also helps the ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) encourage people to adopt pets.

At 17, Norah moved from Dublin to Loch Lomond in Scotland. There, she studied to become a nurse. After five years as a nurse, Norah decided she wanted a different career. At 23, she went back to school to study journalism and TV production. She worked for big broadcasters like the BBC and Sky. She also wrote for newspapers like The Irish Post. Later, she moved back to Ireland. In 2004, she bought several companies from Smurfit Kappa. This was a big step in her business journey.

Norah Casey's Business Career

Norah Casey is very skilled in business. She has bought and started many companies. She has also invested in many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Ireland and other countries. She studied how to manage businesses for several years.

Norah started her career in publishing when she was 26. She founded an award-winning company called Harmonia. This Irish publishing house creates many popular magazines. Some of these include FOOD&WINE Magazine, Irish Tatler, Woman's Way, and Ireland of the Welcomes.

In November 2017, Norah sold six of Harmonia's magazines to an American company called Irish Studio. Norah continued to be involved with these magazines. She stayed on their board in an important role. Norah still publishes 'Woman's Way,' which is Ireland's best-selling magazine for women. She also publishes other magazines.

Norah Casey's Media Work

Norah Casey has appeared on many TV and radio shows.

Appearing on Dragons' Den

In 2011, Norah joined the panel of investors on the TV show Dragons' Den (Irish TV series). She was on the show for two seasons. On the show, she listened to people's business ideas. She decided if she wanted to invest her own money in their businesses.

Hosting Today

Norah became a host on the TV show Today with Maura and Daithi. She hosted the Friday show with Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh. She left the show after one season.

Participating in The Takeover

Norah also took part in a show called The Takeover by RTÉ.

Helping Others on Norah's Traveller Academy

Norah’s Traveller Academy was a show on RTÉ2. In this show, Norah helped young Irish Traveller women. These women had big career dreams. Norah guided them on how to create and keep jobs. This was especially helpful in a country where they sometimes face unfair treatment.

Presenting on Newstalk

In September 2012, Norah started hosting the breakfast radio show on Newstalk. She left the station the next summer. She wanted to spend more time with her son.

Winning Home of the Year

In 2016, Norah took part in a special celebrity episode of RTÉ's Home of the Year. Her home was chosen as the winner of that episode. She won a €5,000 prize, which she gave to a charity she chose.

Dancing on Dancing with the Stars

On December 8, 2017, Norah announced she would be on the second season of Dancing with the Stars (Irish series 2). She shared this news on The Late Late Show. Norah was partnered with professional dancer Curtis Pritchard. They were the first couple to be eliminated from the competition.

Norah Casey's Personal Life

Norah Casey married broadcaster Richard Hannaford on New Year's Eve in 1996. They had one son together, Dara, who was born in 1998. Richard sadly passed away on October 12, 2011, after a short illness.

Norah was a guest on the Late Late Show on May 26, 2017. During the show, she spoke about difficult experiences from her first marriage. Since then, Norah has worked closely with charities that help people affected by domestic violence. She has been a strong supporter of campaigns like #TooIntoYou.