My Weekend: A city break once a month is not up for debate

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?

Having three businesses keeps me very busy but as a business mentor and the founder of The Club women’s network and Elite Pilates I try my best to get a good balance into my life. If I am not well I am no good to anyone.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

Friday nights are a quiet one for me. I work as a Pilates instructor in my spare time so Friday nights are normally spent looking at the clients I have for Saturday mornings at Elite Pilates and putting together class plans. It is so important to prepare as so many clients have different issues However thats why I love Pilates as there is always a modification so everyone can be looked after.

Lie-ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you?

So Saturdays are always an early start and then once a month I teach a morning Retreat in Brown Thomas. This Sunday Social is always on the first Sunday of every month and is so much fun. We work with a different beauty brand every month so it is always different. I hosted one yesterday with Bare minerals. 

I am the ambassador for Lululemon Cork so do the class there, then we did a guided facial with bareMinerals and finally upstairs for brunch in Brown’s Brasserie.

Everyone leaves with a voucher for Brown Thomas and free gifts in their goodie bags. We take a break for December but will be back in January. You can find all the information on my instagram sian_horn

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Absolutely work creeps in to my weekends but I take one weekend a month off and try and plan a getaway to re-boot. I do a lot of speaking also so a lot of my events would be at weekends.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

Since 2019 myself and my husband have tried to do a city break once a month. With the obvious break for covid, we started again last year and its now a non negotiable for me.

We try always to fly from Cork so have done most of the destinations now, but really hope we get some new destinations next year. 

So far my favourite city is Lisbon but Porto is now top of my list for the next visit and they fly from Shannon so it’s about to be booked.

However if money was no object I would fly to Cape Town or Barbados. These are two places I never wanted to leave so would love to return with my husband.

I have to also mention Alghero and Edinburgh. Both flights are from Cork and the most wonderful cities to visit. Very different. I love Edinburgh for the people and the beauty and Alghero because it is so unspoilt. Can’t wait to return to both.

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

My favourite place to sit and relax is The Montenotte Hotel. An evening looking over our beautiful city brings me so much joy and if I can fit a massage in to all the better.

I am also a huge fan of Kilkenny and a night at Mountainview is like a week away. The food is just amazing, service five-star and then you can visit the market on the Sunday and support Irish businesses for the perfect weekend.

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

My family are mostly in the UK, apart from one sister who lives in Ennis. I travel a lot with my work so whenever I get a chance I stay with my sister and my two beautiful nieces.

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

My hobby is Pilates, but I am always up for trying something new. I have been wanting to try Padel for a long time and now we have a facility in Cork so I am definitely getting lessons. 

I spend time in Spain and the Canaries where it is really popular so I am dying to get involved.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter do you have a signature dish?

I cheffed for years and love cooking. The kitchen is my domain and I can cook anything I put my mind to. I am on Keto at the moment so learning lots of vegetarian meals to try and balance out the meat I am eating.

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

Brunch… 12 tables all day long. If you haven’t tried the singleton burger you have not lived.

Cornstore never fails. I don’t drink coffee but Fota Island do the best hot chocolate ever .

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

With a roast, it’s not Sunday if you don’t have a roast.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

Depends, if I have been working all weekend I take my time on a Monday morning.

Anything else you are up to right now…

I have so much going on right now. I am doing a lot of speaking events and just did a great event on menopause at Kildare Village with Sonia Deasy of Pestle & Mortar and Oonagh O’Hagan of Meaghers pharmacy which was wonderful.

I am the ambassador for Champion Green which promotes small Irish business so travelling the country with them to give small business more visibility.

I am attending the Irish Tatler women of 2023 awards this weekend wearing proudly my Lennon Courtney designed dress. They have recently launched in The Kilkenny shop and the quality is just amazing. I can not wait to show it off.

Supporting small Irish business is my passion and so I ask everyone this Christmas to think about where they purchase before they spend.

I am such a proud blow in of this amazing city, if you cut me open you would see Cork inside.