Hilary McGrady

With over 300 historic buildings, the National Trust is a cornerstone of our cultural landscape. The Director-General explains what drew her to the role

- JANET GLEESON

Brought up about 20 miles from Belfast at the height of the Troubles, the roots of Hilary McGrady's future career can be traced to her childhood. 'My father was a builder, my mother had various jobs. As the youngest of a big family circle, I had a solitary childhood that made me find my own pastimes. I spent my time roaming around the fields, and that love of nature has been with me ever since." She also loved the arts, 'in the widest sense', she recalls, and after school she went on to study Fine Art then Graphic Design at art college. 'I'd been accepted to do Law at Queen's, but at the last minute I decided to follow my heart. It didn't go down brilliantly at home. My father said I would end up drawing pictures on the pavement - that was his understanding of the arts in terms of job prospects.'

Hilary's exposure to the country houses that form such a cornerstone of the National Trust was limited. 'In Northern Ireland, the National Trust largely kept a low profile during the Troubles for obvious reasons. I didn't visit country houses; it wasn't something my parents would have thought of doing.' Her first introduction was a memorable school trip to Mount Stewart. It opened a different world to me, and I guess that is at the roots of why I'm so interested now, and feel so passionately that people of a young age and every background should have access to art and collections and the history and stories they tell.'