We love hearing about the childhood memories of familiar faces, and in this instalment of our series we hear from singer and actress Maria Tecce, who looks back fondly on growing up in Boston in the 1970s.
About Maria Tecce
From Cowgirl to Carlow to Certified Citizen!
Maria says: “If you had told me years ago that I’d go from moonlighting as a cowgirl in the wilds of Wyoming to suddenly being whisked off to Ireland by a Carlow man and subsequently finding myself as an international singer and actress in Europe, then I would have said that you were crazy. But that is what happened and, after 10 years of campaigning for my citizenship, I am now a passport-carrying, fully-fledged Irish citizen and resident of Stoneybatter in Dublin.”
Maria built her career touring Europe and the U.S.A. with her one-woman shows. Her main gig was jazz for many years, but she also branched into other genres, including guest spots singing with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, hosting her own show on RTÉ Radio 1, touring her show Strapless, and acting with The Gate Theatre and on BBC and Channel 4 television. At the time of this interview, she was working and touring with the Irish musical comedy outfit The Nualas.
“One of my first acting jobs in Ireland was on Fair City in 2002 and my first singing gig was at Cork Jazz Festival. I’ve since shared the stage with artists as diverse as Dionne Warwick to Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, but I’ve a sneaking suspicion that things are really only just getting started…”
Snow Storms, School Days and a Stuffed Horse Called Charlie…
1) Whereabouts do you come in your family?
“I am the second to youngest out of five.”
2) What is your earliest childhood memory?
“One of my earliest childhood memories is of building a snow fort in the big blizzard of ’78. I remember the clean, soft smell of snow. The roads were impassable so we had to sled to the grocery store and get our 1 gallon of milk that was rationed to each family. The snow plows had built up a 5-6 foot mountain of snow at the end of our driveway, so we made a fort out of the snow drifts and pretended we were Arctic explorers.”
3) Did you have a favourite toy as a young child?
“I loved my stuffed horse named Charlie.”
4) What are your memories of your school days? Were you a good pupil?
“I wasn’t fond of school and skipped out to be with the horses at our local stable more than once. I was very shy. I got A’s in music and English but D’s in science and maths. I loathed maths.”
5) Who was your best friend growing up?
“I was a total tomboy growing up. My best friend as a kid was Skipper Arbuckle, a blonde Nordic wunderkind that lived next door. We got up to all kinds of mischief together and caught many a frog down at the streams around our neighbourhood.”
6) What was your favourite food/snack/drink as a child?
“I loved grape juice and peanut butter crackers.”
7) Did you have any pets?
“Yes indeed: we had a dog, 3 cats, a squirrel, and a semi-tame raccoon that hung out in our backyard.”
8) What were your favourite games to play outside with friends?
“Tag or hide-and-seek. We also invented a game called ‘Kill the Carrier’, which involved trying to kill whoever was carrying the ball.”
9) What did you want to be when you grew up?
“A veterinarian.”
10) How do you think childhood now compares to childhood back then?
“We were a bit more innocent for slightly longer, I think. Back then, we would shoot off on our bikes in the morning and not return home til supper, go on all kinds of adventures, and no one worried about us. My mother was probably delighted to have us out of her hair for a few hours, to be honest. By the time I was 13, I was thinking that I knew it all and was so very worldly — I doubt that’s changed very much!”
Before you go, catch The Nualas performing the hilarious Yummy Mummy Blues — it’s the perfect way to round off Maria’s story.
FAQ
Who is Maria Tecce?
Maria Tecce is a singer and actress originally from Boston who has spent many years living and performing in Ireland, working across jazz, theatre, radio and television.
What does Maria Tecce remember about her childhood?
She recalls a free-range 1970s Boston childhood — building snow forts in the big blizzard of ’78, a beloved stuffed horse named Charlie, tomboy adventures with her best friend, and a menagerie of family pets.
Where is Maria Tecce from originally?
She grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, before later moving to Ireland.
What is The Nualas?
The Nualas are an Irish musical comedy group that Maria worked and toured with, known for comic songs such as Yummy Mummy Blues.
More Childhood Memories
Enjoyed this trip down memory lane? Explore more instalments in our Childhood Memories series, where familiar faces from Ireland’s music, stage and screen share their own stories of growing up. You’ll also find plenty more family life reads and real-life family stories over on our Family Life hub.
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