Person to Person: I have not been off duty on Culture Night since 2012

TELL us about yourself;

My name is Brian Mac Domhnaill. I am Director of Lavit Gallery, Cork, a not-for-profit arts organisation dedicated to promoting an appreciation of visual art in Cork.

I began my career in the arts in 2013 by taking up an internship in the Arts Office at Cork City Council and this involved assisting in the management and delivery of Cork City Culture Night that year.

After completing an MA in Art & Process at MTU Crawford College of Art & Design in 2014, I returned to the Culture Night team in 2015 as a contracted project manager. Since then, I have filled many part-time roles for a variety of arts organisations and artists, with considerable stints spent working with Backwater Artists Group and Sirius Arts Centre before settling into my role at Lavit Gallery in 2022. 

As such, I have not been off duty on Culture Night since 2012!

Lavit Galley provides a much-needed sale-based platform for artists and a venue through which the public can buy and collect art, but we also set out to challenge and engage our audiences with more diverse exhibits.

On Culture Night this year, I will be giving tours of our current exhibition Civilisation Blooming / which features new and experimental work by Cork-based artists Deirdre Frost and Seiko Hayase (tours 6pm & 7pm).

Prior to working in the arts, I worked in commercial archaeology for 14 years specialising in surveying and project management. There were a surprising amount of transferrable skills that proved useful in an arts context.

Outside of work, I am a photographer and occasional inter-disciplinary artist with an eye for unusual, forgotten or overlooked locations and subjects. I like exploring landscapes, but in recent years I have stayed close to home, being more conscious of the environmental impact of travel. 

I particularly crave immersive nature experiences, which can be hard to find in Ireland.

Where were you born?

Waterford.

Where do you live?

Near Castletown-Kinneigh, Middle Cork.

Best friend?

My wife, Angela.

Earliest childhood memory?

Visiting my maternal great grandmother in Knockboy village, Waterford.

Person you most admire?

My late maternal grandmother. She was the epitome of warmth, generosity and fun.

Person who most irritates you?

Anyone who litters.

Where was your most memorable holiday?

I have spent a lot of time in Piedmont, Italy, over the years visiting my aunt. Our holidays there in the ’80s, when we were kids, really stand out. 

It was a very rustic experience and it felt like we were the only tourists in the whole region which made it very special.

Favourite TV programme?

Over the last few years The White Lotus stands out as being something a little different.

Favourite radio show?

I am more inclined to listen to podcasts and most of those are photography-related with a sprinkling of true crime.

Your signature dish if cooking?

I am no whizz in the kitchen, but I can make a decent Melanzane Parmigiana or a Courgette Frittata.

Favourite restaurant?

The current favourite is the bar food in Dunmore House Hotel, near Clonakilty. There are very good vegetarian options and the location is beautiful.

Last book you read?

I’m currently getting through the text component of a few photo books that I acquired over the last year or two, the most recent being American Silence by Robert Adams.

Best book you read?

I have no favourite, but in the past I have thoroughly enjoyed American road-trip classics like John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, and Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I like how these stories are of a particular time and how they explore landscape and take the reader along for the ride.

That said, in most of these cases I would choose different travelling companions… except for Steinbeck’s dog Charley, who seemed OK.

Last album/CD/download you bought?

It’s been years. I prefer quiet these days. I think the last three albums I bought were bluegrass, including The Grass Is Blue by Dolly Parton. I was driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains in America and I needed an appropriate soundtrack.

Favourite song?

I can’t imagine being that specific, but the earworm of the moment is Couch Indentation by Puppy Songs. Look it up. This is the music I need in my life right now.

One person you would like to see in concert?

Nobody, I rarely enjoy live music experiences because I am odd that way.

Do you have a pet?

Two amazing sister British Shorthair cats called Thistle and Juniper. 

We also love dogs and we will hopefully have one or several some day.

Morning person or night owl?

Morning person.

Your proudest moment?

Getting my MSc in Palaeoecology from Queens University, Belfast. I went in with a debilitating lack of IT skills and came out a year later with a distinction. It was quite the transformation.

Spendthrift or saver?

Spendthrift by nature, saver by necessity.

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

I would plant more trees and add a public transport link from our village to the city so I didn’t have to drive.

What makes you happy?

Nature, film, cameras, good food, and Guinness.

How would you like to be remembered?

Fondly.

What else are you up to at the moment?

Renovating our shed.