08.00

Weekend mornings are not as hectic as midweek mornings. My husband is a secondary school teacher and there’s half an hour each morning that is hectic so I enjoy that 30 minutes on a Saturday before they all amble down the stairs. I subscribe to the newspapers online so I’ll have my coffee and go through the headlines.

My husband makes porridge every day except Christmas Day. The boys will grab their bowls as they come down the stairs and it’ll take them either five minutes or 30 minutes to eat it depending on how much time pressure they’re under.

Whoever hears the baby first or whoever is upstairs when she wakes will lift her up and bring her downstairs. There’s a nine year age gap between her and our youngest son. The boys dote on her and understand her needs.

09.00

We live and die by a big white board which tells the boys where they’ve to go, what they’ve to do and what they’ve to wear. If they ask me who they’re playing I say ‘Look at the board’. Saturday is often match day with matches at the same time so my husband and I will divide and conquer and often pick up team mates along the way.

They play soccer, GAA and basketball. Sport is part of what we all do as a family. During Covid they couldn’t do it so I think they appreciate it now. We’ve always encouraged them to be active - we treat exercise like something they do, like going to school.

If I’m working in the afternoon, I’ll still try to get to their matches in the morning. I might be reporting on the Champion’s League Final but their little under 10s match is just as important to them. I try to get my prep for work done during the week so I can give my attention to the kids on a Saturday morning.

12.30

Usually it’s a roast chicken and rolls on the counter for lunch, then my husband will usually take the kids to basketball training, a match or a tournament and I’ll stay home with the baby.

I work on Sunday Sport on the radio so I have to watch all the sport on Saturdays for the Sunday show. I’ll generally have the Gaelic or rugby on in the background while I’m doing what needs to be done around the house.

With the World Cup you’re talking about seeing the biggest players in the world on the big stage. People connect with the World Cup in a way they don’t with anything else because there’s such pride in their countries.

16.00

The boys will arrive back at 4pm or 5pm and generally bring back a gang of kids. We have an astro pitch in the garden so Saturday is hectic as all their friends will come over and they’ll be in and out all evening playing while keeping an eye on a soccer match on the telly.We have floodlights on the pitch so even when it gets dark they’ll turn the lights on and then run out for another few hours. The airfryer will be busy throughout the evening with plenty of chips and goujons on the go. I am one of seven kids and our home was always a house full of kids so I love having a house that everyone wants to come to.

20.30

The little one will potter around the place and then go to bed at about 8.30 or 9pm. I’ll be keeping an eye on the sport all evening - it’s always on and always a topic of conversation - it’s just part of, and a way of, life in our family.

21.30

I might watch an episode of something on Netflix though it’s a bit tricky with the baby to think about anything other than sleep as she still wakes up a lot during the night. She’s only small for a short while so I don’t sweat it. I don’t seem to have time to read much at the moment and I lament that because I love reading.

If I’m on the telly on a Sunday I’ll be thinking about what I’ve to do as the work day starts earlier. If I’m going to be on the radio I’ll probably go to a match before I go into the radio.

I’m quite good at compartmentalising so when I’m at home and I have my work done I’ll put the work away. I’ve learnt that you can’t do everything at the same time so you’re better to do what you have to do and then move onto the next thing. I write a list at the start of each week and each morning and I tick off the tasks as they’re done.

• From now until the World Cup Final on July 19th catch Marie Crowe and the rest of the presenting team on RTÉ’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with all games available across RTÉ platforms. Find out more on rte.ie.