Matt Nolan is a familiar figure around the streets of Mullingar and his love of the Irish language immediately mesmerises anyone with whom he speaks.
Born in Ballygar in North Galway in the 1950s, Matt grew up in a very difficult time period in Ireland. He remembers with great clarity how the talk of the village would be who was the next to emigrate. This greatly impacted Matt and his love for the land, the language and the culture.
Having completed his Leaving Certificate, Matt got his first job with the Department of Forestries, before moving swiftly onwards to work until his retirement seven years back, with the Inland Fisheries Trust.
Matt moved to Mullingar in 1972 and nowadays keeps busy taking photographs, writing books, teaching Irish and living life to the full.