With a population of employee’s equivalent to the town of Roscommon, Intel Ireland is home to a vibrant, diverse and dynamic collection of people.
Intel is a place that is full of brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends and neighbours and over the next number of weeks, we will share stories of these people as part of our latest series of the People of Intel.
Eleanor Moriarty, 58
Data Base Administrator
Despite working at Intel for 15 years, I didn’t actual apply for a job here! I had completed my degree in Computing Science and was working in mobile communications when I got a call one day offering me a position.
I thought it was someone messing so asked for the caller’s number; I didn’t ring the mobile I had been given, but instead rang the Intel switchboard and when I was put through, I realised it was genuine!
Apparently, a fellow University student who worked at Intel had recommended me but had forgotten to tell me.
I was delighted to be offered a position in Intel following a challenging time in my life.
Several years previously I found myself on my own, with two young children aged nine and five. So, while I worked full time, I also studied at night, slowly gaining my credits year by year.
It was a tough stint, working full time, studying and raising two children on my own. I look at them now, and know I made the right decision.
Both of my children received Intel Scholarships as undergraduates; and after their undergraduate degree, went on to study for their Masters. I’m hugely proud of them both and what they have achieved.
I rarely shared my story at work, partly due to an implicit bias so I didn’t keep pictures of my children on my desk or talk about them very much. I think the pandemic has changed things a great deal, and it has opened up people’s eyes to what it really takes to manage family life and a career.
The gender imbalance is changing but it can still be a challenge for women. I hope I’m a role model to women in Intel and the industry at large that there is a place for us here.
In recent years, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and I became her primary carer, and in the months before she passed away, I was diagnosed with cancer myself. I am hugely grateful to Intel for the support I got, both in the time needed to care for my sister and also to deal with my own illness and recovery.
The barriers on returning to work after cancer treatment can be significant and I have to credit my direct manager and Intel for the fantastic support I got after my medical leave.
Travelling is my big passion and so I’ve walked the Camino trail, backpacked through South America, travelled to China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and was due to go to Nepal last year but we all know what happened to our plans for 2020!
The other thing I’ve taken up this last year is woodwork. It began when I had to replace my garden shed last year; and for environmental reasons, didn’t want to throw away or burn the painted wood.
So I got the notion to make garden planters and it’s gone from there. I really enjoy making things and learning new skills. I’m totally self-taught and one of the first things I made for the house was a picture frame and it’s really not good, but I keep it to remind myself how much I’ve learned and that things don’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable.
I’m also looking forward to getting back to my Scouting. I’ve been a leader for almost 20 years and it’s a big part of my life. I started out as a parent-helper initially and then signed up to become a fully trained Scouter. I love seeing how much the scouts learn and grow in confidence from their Scouting experience; though it’s a shock when I see young people whom I knew in their teens with families of their own!
Whilst the skills they are taught are certainly useful, I think the greater benefit is how they learn resilience. That’s so important for young people to know – that it’s ok to make a mistake, because you can always find a solution and you’ll do better the next time. I always say that the day I come home from a camp saying “That was a perfect camp, there’s nothing I could do better” is the day I quit Scouting.
Whilst I’ve had to face challenges, I also feel I have been incredibly lucky to have the support to be able to overcome them.
I think that’s a lesson that serves anyone well in life: don’t focus on the mistakes or the crisis, but focus on how you manage it and learn something new. It has certainly helped me in my life.
Read some more of the stories from of our People of Intel series.
Additional information about Intel is available at:
Web – intel.ie | Twitter – @Intel_IRL | Facebook – Intel Ireland
Media contact: Sarah Sexton | sarah.sexton@intel.com | + 353 1 606 8537