I'm enjoying down time after all the drama on Fair City

And the actress said that she has been using this free time to tone up and catch up with her loved ones.

"It's nice to have more free time to be with my boyfriend and see my friends," she said.

"I don't think people realise that it's not a nine-to-five job: when you're in there, you're in there. It's so time-consuming. There are friends' babies and even puppies that I haven't seen, so it's really nice to be a bit more free."

The actress, who plays Caoimhe Dillon on Fair City, said her busy schedule hasn't freed up enough to allow her a break in the sun, but she's enjoying a new fitness regime.

trainer

"I've no holidays planned as I'm sort of in and out of work at the moment so I don't really have the time," she said.

"I've been spending a lot of time at the gym as I love lifting weights.

"My second home is a new gym that's opened in Drumcondra called Active You. I have a personal trainer there, I'm training with a team and I also go to classes, so I'm there most days and I'm still not getting bored, which is great."

Aoibheann (27) from Malahide is an advocate of girls being fit and strong rather than just thin.

"I definitely agree with the new fitness craze of girls lifting weights: strong really is the new beautiful," she said.

"I prefer to be lean and toned and have a bit of shape to me."

"One of the main reasons I got into weight lifting was for the mental health benefits; doing sports and physical exercise has such a positive impact on your mental health and you really do get addicted to that good feeling after a work out."

Although Aoibheann does admit that she used to be afraid of bulking up by doing weights, her new regime has totally changed her mind: "Before I would never have done weights for the fear that I would bulk up and look like a man, but that's so not the case, it's pretty much impossible."

hnews@herald.ie