My Weekend: Bating a bodhrán or climbing a mountain or driving to the beach...

Tell us about yourself?

I’m from Doneraile in North Cork, country boy living in the city. I’m obsessed with music and arts and broadcasting. My best buddy is a German Shepherd named Jessiedog who indulges me while listening to loud music or bating a bodhrán or driving hundreds of miles to the beach or to climb a mountain. I love people and the weird sounds they make and the chats to be had.

Ideal way to spend Friday nights?

It depends really, it could be a quiet pint of Beamish with a pal, or it could be getting my lid blown off by a loud noise band, or it could be watching tv. I love going to the theatre and cinema. Usual craic really, all of these options are ideal!

Lie in or up with the lark — which is it for you?

Ah, I’ve the best of intentions, but even if I do get up early I’ll sip coffee and rub the dog and do nothing for an hour anyway!

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Oh, ridiculously so. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and composing an email in my head. I have to train myself to tune out of work. But I’m a freelancer who is lucky enough to pursue what I love to do. But it can be scatty, unpredictable, and at times hectic. Therefore, I need to be that way too. Besides, ideas can come at any time.

For example, for Dream Factory, I’m working closely with a puppet maker and puppet designer. I could have a thought at any time, or they might, so you have to be open to ideas or other people’s schedules.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend City break and who would you bring?

I’d bring my lady! Oh, if money was no object, I’d head for some crazy musical adventure to New Orleans or Tokyo or New York.

Cities like that still have such an allure and mythological musical mecca status for me.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

My favourite place in the world is Banna Strand. I feel that it is the most beautiful beach in the world, it absolutely centres me or something, I adore it. So I love to go mad down there with my dog and a rugby ball in and out of the surf and it just goes on for miles. Closer to home I love the Ballyhoura mountains for walking and especially running.

Do you catch up with friends / family at the weekend?

Big time!! Nothing better than sharing a meal or even just a phonecall with the family. I’d be lost without it, we’re all very close and it’s where the craic is at too. I have an amazing bunch of friends and we all share a love of music or sport and at times, the pub of course.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

I’m a soccer obsessive, well mad for most sports really. So that takes up loads of my free time, sports podcasts like Second Captains and then watching a load of footie too, and then having the craic with the lads on the group chats or in the pub. I love it. And of course sport can often be extremely inspiring too.

Entertain or be entertained? If it is the latter, do you have a signature dish?

I think it’s a bit of both! I like the pub scene where everyone around a table inevitably ends up telling a story or a joke. You listen and talk. I do love the tradition where everyone does something, for the craic. I don’t think that I’m a particularly talented entertainer, but I certainly am up for the laugh!

We have so many places to eat out in Cork — where are your spots for coffee / lunch / special meal?

So many places to choose from. I love to sit by the river and sip coffee at Myo café by Shandon. I love a sambo from the awesome gang at Sonny’s Deli on my cycle in to town. Or a Japanese takeaway from Miyazaki on Evergreen St. I just love these places. They bring some much needed joy to Cork.

Sunday night comes around too fast, how do you normally spend it?

Trying to get my act together for the week ahead! Some people like to go for a skoop of a Sunday but I wouldn’t dream of it, the cinema would be the furthest that I’d venture out. I love to read, usually books about music or musicians, and I think that’s ideally how I like to relax into the week.

What time does your alarm clock go off Monday morning?

7am. Snooze button twice, maximum. Get that coffee and water going. The dog makes the mornings a lot easier cos she’s always in flying form and it’s infectious!

Anything else you are up to right now?

Well I’m thrilled to be back on stage with Dream Factory. It has been amazing to connect with such a wildly creative team. Besides that, I’m producing a radio series for Raidió na Gaeltachta and another for RTÉ Radio 1. I’ve just finished sitting in for John Creedon on his amazing radio show on Radio 1 as well. Also working on some big live music projects later in the year and some amazing kids’ tv shows to be made later in the year as well! Oh, just shot a beautiful music show for TG4 in November so I’m really keen to see how that turns out.