Introducing Aisling Naoise Gallagher
Growing up is never easy, but for Aisling Naoise Gallagher, it feels nearly impossible. From the moment she could spell her name, life has been an uphill climb. Everything is hard, starting with that very name.
Her parents chose Aisling to honor her Irish roots. It is beautiful, poetic, and even means “dream” or “vision” in Irish, 
but to a kid trying to survive middle and high school, it feels like a curse. While other girls named Erin or Shannon could buy a key chain or pencil case with their name on it, Aisling was stuck explaining over and over how to pronounce hers. She tried to laugh it off, but deep down she felt invisible, forgotten, and sometimes even a little betrayed.
A Name That Means Warrior, But Aisling Doesn’t Feel Like One
Technically, Aisling Naoise translates to “dream warrior,” which sounds bold and powerful. Yet Aisling has never felt like a warrior of any kind. Instead, she often feels like the exact opposite; a girl who drifts, struggles, and blends into the background no matter how hard she tries.
Her parents never seemed to help much. In fact, she sometimes thinks they secretly hate her. Why else would they give her such a difficult name and then insist on uprooting her life every year, sometimes even mid-semester? Changing schools has been her normal for as long as she can remember. Making friends is not just hard, it is impossible. Every time she starts to connect with someone, the rug gets pulled out from under her.
What Adults See vs. What Kids See
She has always been “the dreamy one.” Adults look at her and see a quiet, imaginative girl who spends too much time in her head. The other kids see someone different, someone weird. They never cared that she loved to run, trained in karate, or could sit down and play piano and guitar. To them, she was just Aisling, the oddball girl with the strange name.
Did it bother her? Sometimes. Mostly she pretended it didn’t matter, but deep down she wished someone would notice her for who she really was.
Different on the Outside, Different on the Inside
It wasn’t her looks that made her feel out of place. With her long, curly reddish-brown hair (which she often straightened just to blend in), her creamy skin, and her green eyes, she looked very much like the other Irish American kids around her. Her clothing leaned a little boho, a little vintage, but it was hardly radical.
Still, she never fit in. It was not about style or appearance. It was something deeper, something she could never quite name.
And just when she thought she might figure it out, her parents dropped another bombshell: they were moving again.
Why Aisling’s Story Matters
Aisling’s story is fictional, but the feelings she carries are very real. So many teens struggle with belonging, identity, and the frustration of feeling “different.” That is exactly why I created her. She represents every kid who has ever stared at the cafeteria wondering where to sit, every student who has ever rolled their eyes at being called “weird,” and every dreamer who secretly wonders if maybe being different is its own kind of strength.
If you’ve ever felt like Aisling, you know that sometimes the hardest part of growing up is learning that not fitting in might actually be your superpower.
Learn More
- If you’re curious about the meaning and history of the name Aisling, check out this article on IrishCentral’s guide to Irish baby names.
- Want to see how I use characters like Aisling to explore themes of identity, belonging, and resilience? Take a look at my writer’s blog where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my YA novel in progress.
2 Responses