Avril Burke is the latest in a long line of strong-willed women to inhabit the mythical village of Ballykissangel. Played by Susannah Doyle this complex character is determined to pay her own way in life and clings ferociously to her hard-won independence. Susannah took time out of her busy shooting schedule to talk to The Examiner.
	Watch the interview for more from Susannah Doyle

Has Avril been in Ballykissangel for all of these years and we just haven't noticed her?

Yes, you've been looking in the other direction I think! She has always been in Wicklow and Ballykissangel and working in the stables which now belong to her, but she might have been away a little bit recently for reasons of her own, but she has always been there as part of the fabric.

So there's no surprise when she comes into the storyline?

I don't think anyone ever says "who's that?" Just like Edso's character. No one says "who's the guy?" It's just view and accept.

Having horses and running a stable would be terribly important to any village in Ireland. Do you get on with horses?

I do like horses, which is just as well. I have had some turbulent relationships with some horses, but I do like them as a rule.

Is it difficult to work with them? do they behave themselves?

No they don't actually, so that's why you have handlers to deal with them if they get a bit frisky.

Ballykissangel has always been a very close, genuinely friendly community. How was it for you fitting into this new group of people?

It was just quite a natural process. It just seemed fairly seamless and I didn't feel self conscious or that I had to prove myself. I was made to feel really welcome and I thought I was there for the right reasons. I was qualified to be there so I was quite happy and comfortable and people were really genuinely warm and receiving.

Was this all because you were a Ballykissangel viewer?

Yeah, well the fact that they were familiar to me already and the fact that my dad had been in it for so long, I felt that I had every right to assume that they were my friends too!

What kind of character do we have in Avril? Is she pleasant, unpleasant or is she a mixture?

She is very pleasant, very charming, but she's got a bit of a temper on her, and she can be a bit flirty when she wants to. She's got a really short fuse and she's got a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She works on her own so things get hard, so I think she's allowed to snap every now and then!