My name is a little bit odd.

My mom got it from a book called Light A Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy. She read it in 1982, and the name stuck with her until I was born in 1988.

Aisling is pronounced like [aÉ•lʲənʲ], or “Ashleen,” for those of you who don’t read dictionary gibberish. In Irish, it means “dream,” “vision,” and “inspiration.”

An aisling is also a type of Irish poetry from the 17th and 18th centuries. The early form was a poem depicting beauty and nature. It later developed into a political poem.

There is also a song called “Aisling,” by Shane MacGowan and the Popes. It’s a kind of fun, upbeat song that I like to sing really loudly.