Imelda May grew up in a working-class background, but her aspirations far exceeded what people thought she’d have.

The 51-year-old recalled the system tried to push her down, make her smaller, when she knew she wanted to be larger than life.

And look at her now! Award-winning Imelda boasts an impressive discography with seven albums under her belt and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

It’s no secret that Imelda has an intense grá for all that Ireland has to offer, from its rich culture to its colourful language. She believes this was fostered by her working-class background.

Her grandmother was Cumann na mBan, and her grandfather was Fianna Éireann. She said the pair were ‘well informed’, doing ‘a lot of research’, and so ‘political and social awareness’ were part and parcel of her growing up.

‘I think a lot of working-class kids are underestimated,’ Imelda told the Irish Times. ‘I was often told very, very clearly [at school], “You will amount to nothing. Aim for not getting pregnant. Aim for a job with the local council. Aim for the Guinness factory if you’re lucky”.

‘I remember thinking, “F**k you. You’re underestimating me.” It upset me. I was clever. I was daydreaming, but I was clever.’

Imelda shared her belief that ‘oral traditions’ are hugely aligned with cultural power. If you segregate people from the older generation, they lose out on the sing-songs, the storytelling, that oftentimes the working-class are exposed to.

‘I hope to God that working-class kids are breaking through. Talent and creativity will always be in working-class areas.’

Imelda also spoke of the importance of grafting to get where you want in life, explaining that the average working-class child doesn’t have the ‘luxury’ of time or financial backing.

‘If you’re in two rooms with the rest of your family, how do you learn to play the drums? That’s where government needs to step in,’ she said.