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Padraig Howley, the 67-year-old father of Riverdance star Tara Howley, is trying out a vegan lifestyle to improve his health and fitness.
Padraig became an Instagram sensation in a matter of weeks, and posts singing videos alongside blogging his 21-day vegan journey.
As a result, the pair featured in a double-page spread inside The Irish Sun.
Riverdance support
Vegan journey
Padraig was encouraged to go plant-based when he went for a sunrise swim with vegan cooks Dave and Stephen Flynn, of The Happy Pear.
‘I never thought I’d ever say I would go vegan’, said Padraig, but after advice from health professionals, he knew he needed to make ‘a few changes’ to his lifestyle.
Whilst documenting his 21-day journey, Padraig films tutorials on how to cook a range of The Happy Pear’s recipes – whilst singing along.
Since his first post at the end of February, Padraig now has more than 81,000 followers on the platform.
Eating plants and singing
Normalizing discussing health
Daughter and Riverdance star Tara said she ‘couldn’t be more proud’ of her father.
‘For those who don’t know, he has suffered so much and rarely would you hear him complain.
‘He will admit, there is a stigma attached with talking about health issues, especially with men his age but normalizing that talking about things like this, in fact makes every problem a little smaller when it’s shared’, she added.
Padraig never fails to put ‘a smile on my face’, she said.
You can keep up to date with Padraig’s journey via his Instagram account here
