Names are funny things. You rarely have any control over what you are originally called. Love it or hate it (mine has never felt right, and I understand from my parents it was a compromise choice intended not to insult either side of the family) you are stuck with it unless you want to go down the route of legally changing your name.

Anyway Bernie and I chose our daughters name Maeve because we wanted an Irish name, and we liked the sound of it. Yesterday we were doing our weekly book shop in the excellent Borders Bookshop in Blanchardstown when a book on Irish Baby names caught my eye. I looked up what Maeve meant in Irish (never my strong point in school) and was pleasently surprised to discover Maeve means “Intoxicating One”; Never a truer phrase has been uttered, since everyone who meets Maeve is boweled over and Intoxicated with her happy, beautiful face and joyous nature.

Coincidently Maeves middle name is Grainne which in irish is “Love”. So Maeve Grainne Leeson means Intoxicating Love :)