Frances Mantle tells me how she found her ideal career despite little education and a lot of heartache. For Frances, FÁS has been instrumental in getting her the career that she always wished for. Growing up in a family of thirteen, Francis wasn’t afforded the chance of adequate education.

Having left school at the tender age of 13, she developed a keen interest in hairdressing. Like most young girls, Frances practised on a doll’s head, but years later a burning desire to be a coiffeur saw her banging on doors searching for her first break. For the rest of her adolescent years, Frances worked her way up from brushing studio floors to actual hairstyling.

At the age of 22, Frances swapped work life for family life and gave up hairdressing to start a family. But tragedy was also soon to strike. In the same year, Frances lost her mother in a motor accident which she admitted was a huge blow to her and the rest of her extended family.

To cope with her mother’s death, Frances concentrated on rearing her first child. After this, she was to bear another three children, one of whom was subsequently diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Frances’s husband Noel took their daughter’s illness particularly hard and within a few short years, he too died.

Still reeling from her husband’s death, Frances lost a beloved sister to ovarian cancer. Talking to Frances, it is hard to comprehend how she has dealt with the huge loss she has had to endure.

At 46, she was left a widow with a young family still to rear and yet she remains positive in times of such adversity. Frances puts this down to her faith. She belongs to the Metropolitan Church and has found it of great strength and comfort to her in her hours of darkness.

While some people would give up on life, Frances has learned to understand life and its trials and tribulations. Remarkably, she has said that it has made her all the stronger.

With this new found lease of life, Frances’s passion for hairdressing was re-ignited. It was while working in the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook that Frances was to realise her dreams of crimping again.

After working three years as a Community Employment worker there, Frances’s self-belief and confidence grew. With the help of her FÁS supervisor, David Carroll, Frances gained access to the relevant hairdressing courses.

But there are many others, Frances would like to credit for helping her get on the right career path. Eric Rankin in the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook, who was compassionate to her family’s needs and allowed her time off whenever it was needed. Helen and Angela in Central Hair Studios, Sandymount, who took her under their wing and gave her the much-needed boost of confidence to retrain in hairdressing. Peter Nolan in Inner City Partnership who awarded her a financial grant for start up equipment. Robert Finan, Larkin Self-Employment Support Unit, who was on hand to give advice on taxation and other business affairs.

Louise O’Sullivan, FÁS Employment Services Officer, Bernie Weafer, Jobs Placement Mentor and Geraldine O’Brien all of St. Andrew’s Resource Centre also helped greatly with her much-needed direction. And last but not least, Frances would like to thank her brothers and sisters for their continued support and Tony Maguire, who she refers to as her ‘All weather friend’.

Frances has aspirations of one day writing a book, which will record her life’s experiences.

For a hair appointment, visit Frances at 12 Pine Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4. If you wish to avail of her mobile service, call 0860883062. Special rates apply to OAPs.