Singer Melanie C has told The Oliver Callan Show on RTÉ Radio 1 that Ireland is “a really special place for the Spice Girls” as she looks forward to her solo date at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre this Sunday, 18 October.
Melanie C joined the show on Tuesday to discuss 30 years of the Spice Girls, her Irish roots, and future plans.
Listen: Melanie C on The Oliver Callan Show on RTÉ Radio 1
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The host brought her back to late 1997 and early 1998, when the Spice Girls came to the K Club in Co Kildare in preparation for their Spiceworld Tour.
“Ireland is very special. It’s a really special place for the Spice Girls,” said Melanie C.
“We spent a lot of time there, we did. We trained for our tour in 1998. We were in Co Kildare and we did our first-ever show at The Point. I know it’s not called that anymore, but it will always be The Point to me!
“And then, of course, when we came back in 2019, we were at Croke Park.
“So, we know the audiences in Dublin, in Ireland, are the best. It’s a beautiful place to play, and I’m glad that I’m going to be back there this weekend. I can’t wait. I can’t believe it.”
Melanie C, born Melanie Chisholm, traced her Irish roots on BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are? in 2024.
“I always knew it was there,” she told the host.
“I knew on my dad’s side, my grandmother was O’Flaherty originally. And she never really talked about it that much.
“After doing the show and learning how far back [my roots went]… the family came over after The Great Famine.
“And I understand now the hardships that they faced. I think their generation just didn’t really want to talk about it, so it kind of breaks my heart I’ve only learned about it after her passing.”
“But I’ve always felt proud, and I’ve always felt very at home when I’ve come to Ireland,” the singer continued.
“So, to find those roots out there in Limerick… yeah, I understand now. It’s obviously in there in my DNA. And I come from a long line of very strong women, and I really think that is about the Irish part of me, for sure.”
When asked about what the future holds for the Spice Girls, Melanie C replied that the group are “probably in the best place we’ve ever been”.
The Spice Girls, Paris, September 1996 – (L-R) Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Victoria Beckham, and Geri Halliwell
“When you’re young and there’s so many things going on… We’d have our moments, we’ve had our fallouts, but we’ve always come back together,” she said.
“And I think now we’re all in our fifties, we’re all parents, and we just have so much respect for each other. Because we know the lives we have now we wouldn’t have had without each other. So, it’s a beautiful time to be a Spice Girl, for sure.
“We’re constantly talking and there are so many great opportunities for the Spice Girls. I think we’re just waiting to find something we all agree on being a beautiful way to celebrate all of that incredible work that we did.
“So, watch this space! I’m always keeping my fingers crossed… the door’s always open.”
The Oliver Callan Show, weekdays, RTÉ Radio 1, 11am