Person to Person: I try to be as involved as possible in Cork’s thriving arts scene 

Tell us about yourself;

I am a Cork-based art historian and arts manager – I’m currently Sample-Studios’ Development & Communications Coordinator and I am an Assistant Lecturer in History of Art in UCC, where I’ve worked since 2014.

I came about my current circumstances in a roundabout way, first studying Music in UCC to fulfil my love of the arts. Taking Art History as a fourth subject in an Arts degree, I was fortunate to encounter truly inspiring lecturers and a whole wonderful world I never knew existed. I’ve never looked back since, and I’ve recently completed my PhD in History of Art.

I try to be as involved as possible in Cork’s thriving arts scene, working regularly with Crawford Art Gallery and giving public lectures for our city’s art-focused societies.

Through my current roles, I have a very nice balance of working directly with Cork’s contemporary artists at Sample-Studios and teaching UCC’s students about the role of art through history. I also stay active in art historical research, so art bleeds into most aspects of life for me!

Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Cork, growing up on the waterfront just outside Monkstown and moving to Carrigaline in my teenage years.

Where do you live?

I currently live in Cork city centre on the bank of the river – the need for a view of the water hasn’t left me since childhood!

Family?

My parents live in Carrigaline so are close by, and my older brother lives a stone’s throw away in the city. I have younger twin sisters, one in Cork and the other in Vancouver – we miss her lots.

Best friend?

My wife – she’s my partner in everything I do.

Earliest childhood memory?

Possibly the source of my love of music – I remember listening to Bryan Adams’ Everything I do with my mother and crying when it ended! I’m told it was habit of mine when I was just over one year old.

Person you most admire?

I don’t often think in terms of a single person I admire; rather, people shift in and out of my focus based on what my attention is on. This could be my former PhD supervisor, Dr Flavio Boggi, whose absolute expertise and erudition is matched only by his good nature and generosity. It could be Gennaro Contaldo, Jamie Oliver’s hilarious side-kick in all things Italian cooking. It could be mandolin-master Mike Marshall with whom I recently started taking online lessons.  It could even be the Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, the most frequent subject of my research, whose works hold up to over 500 years of scrutiny without losing their relevance and appeal. 

Positive influence can be derived from so many avenues and applied to so many diverse areas of life – I think admiration is best spread far and wide.

Where was your most memorable holiday?

I’ll have to give two as they were both formative and fun in different ways:

The first would be at 17, spending a month camping and surfing in Biarritz with my brother (my other best friend) and a group of friends. It was the first time I travelled abroad without my parents, and I remember the feeling of absolute freedom that one can only feel before the adult world of cares and responsibilities kicks in!

Also, the first holiday I took with my wife. We went to Rome, eating and drinking our way through the city. We were relatively new in our relationship so it was a significant moment.

In 2022, we returned to Rome with our families and held our wedding there, so it’s a special place for us in more ways than one.

Favourite TV programme?

Tricky, but probably Dexter.

Favourite radio show?

Live From Here. It was discontinued during Covid as it involved a live audience in the US, but it was the most wonderful fusion of bluegrass, classical, jazz, rock, and everything in between that you could imagine!

Your signature dish if cooking?

Sausage ragù with homemade pasta. Cooking is a huge passion of mine, and Italian cuisine appeals to me having spent so much time in Italy over the years of research and teaching.

Favourite restaurant?

In Cork? 51 Cornmarket. Anne and David are so friendly and welcoming that you feel like you’re visiting a friend when you dine there. The food is the best in the city, in my opinion.

Last book you read?

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. It’s quite an achievement to create a page-turning thriller the length of a fantasy epic at nearly 1,000 pages.

Best book you read?

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I regularly lament the fact that I’ll never experience the thrill of reading them for the first time again.

Favourite song?

You invite a very lengthy response asking this of a music lover! If it’s rock, it’s something by Alice in Chains, perhaps Rooster. I gravitate a lot towards bluegrass these days as that’s mainly what I play myself, so in that genre probably Rebecca by Herschel Sizemore. But I’ll equally take a movement from Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, a soaring number from Led Zeppelin, or a simple acoustic by Bob Dylan. There’s too much, so when I’m asked about my taste in music or my favourite genre, I usually reply ‘anything good’.

One person you would like to see in concert?

Chris Thile. He’s a master musician, composer, an eclectic performer, and one of the all-time greatest mandolin players.

Your proudest moment?

Walking out of my PhD defence having successfully defended my thesis. I was very glad that my academic mentor could attend my defence – he has nurtured and supported my career in so many ways, so being able to do him proud meant the world to me.

Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live?

Cork is a beautiful city, but many streets and building fronts are in need of more care and investment.

What makes you happy?

Lately, hopping in the car and driving to Fountainstown beach for a swim after work with my wife. We’re challenging each other to see how long we can keep it up as winter sets in.

How would you like to be remembered?

Maybe as that person whose name is written on the front of a book about Michelangelo’s sculpture.

What else are you up to at the moment?

I’m getting ready to launch a new six-week lecture series entitled Art History Reframed with Sample-Studios and Triskel Arts Centre starting on September 17 (see triskelartscentre.ie). It’s a wonderful opportunity to take my passion and teaching experience beyond the university to the general public and showcase how art has both formed and reflected our development across the ages.

I’m also working up a couple of articles for publication on the subject of Italian Renaissance sculpture.

Outside that, I’m generally found playing bluegrass on the mandolin until my fingers are sore!