My Weekend: 'Friday evenings are about switching off'

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work:

I was born in the UK to Irish parents who were from Donegal. In fact, all my ancestors were Irish. I was the first one born outside of Ireland. I am also an Irish citizen, and I now live between West Cork and London.

I started and run www.thepublicspeakingcourse.com, coaching individuals and businesses how to stand up and successfully speak in public to an audience of any size. I run regular workshops in Cork.

Clear, concise communication is important to me. Without it we are lost. Humans need to speak, whether that be for business purposes or in a personal capacity. Being able to authentically communicate makes a world of difference. It even avoids wars. A lot of people hide behind their mobiles and laptops on social media, apps and Zoom. Since the pandemic it has become much worse.

My passion is to help people break through their fear of public speaking – a fear that affects at least 75% of the population – and help them to find their voice and stand up and speak in front of their fellow humans.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

I enjoy Friday evenings after what is usually a busy week, knowing that the weekend is ahead. Friday evenings for me are about switching off and relaxing by going to the cinema with my wife and family or out for a meal with friends. Sometimes, it’s as simple as settling down to a good movie on Netflix with my pyjamas on and a nice cup of tea!

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

I like both! It really depends on the day and what I have planned. I can easily get up at 5am if necessary, or lie-in until 8am. Often – on a Sunday morning in particular – I will sit in bed with my laptop until mid-morning, so it’s a partial lie-in or maybe even a sit-in!

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

Yes, quite a lot of the time. Many of my Saturdays are taken up facilitating public speaking courses, which I love. I run them in person once per month in Cork, Dublin and London so few enough of my weekends are entirely free.

I try to switch off for the rest of the weekend but I don’t really have boundaries, as my wife constantly tells me! I know I should, but I don’t adhere to them. I work for myself, so I am always replying to emails or sending them. I also do a lot of Zoom calls speaking to people prior to them coming on my public speaking course, and sometimes that’s the only time people can do a call. However, I do meditate, so that helps.

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

I would go to Trier in western Germany to visit the birthplace of Karl Marx and take my wife (reluctantly from her point of view) with me. Marx was born in 1818 and over 200 years later the world still talks about him. He was a fascinating character who, ironically, was in financial difficulty for most of his life. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London and has thousands of visitors every year. His philosophy was much misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Closer to home, is there a place you like to head to recharge the batteries? I love Barley Cove beach in West Cork. It is one of my favourite places to go with our dog. I have been there on hot summer days and freezing cold winter days. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, it is always stunning and invigorating.

We have very happy memories of our two boys when they were toddlers running around the beach and playing in the shallow pools of water. Now, in their mid-20s, they still love going there and one of them is a great surfer.

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

Yes, where possible, but I can also do that during the week, too, as I work for myself! But meeting friends at the weekend is always a bit more relaxing. Being ‘present’ with people is a great gift to give someone. I try to put my phone on silent and not look at it when catching up with friends, especially when I haven’t seen them for a while.

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

I love both football and rugby, but I don’t play either! I support Liverpool and have had the pleasure of watching them at Anfield, an iconic football ground, with a rich and successful history. I have also been to Twickenham, the home of English rugby, and have seen Ireland play – what a great day out a trip to watch a big rugby match is. My other ‘hobby’, if you could call it that, is to go to a nice spa and spend the day relaxing!

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

Prefer to be entertained at a nice restaurant or dinner party with a group of people and talk about world affairs, domestic politics, and whether or not we are all living in a simulation. Anything to have a robust, intelligent conversation.

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

I mainly hang out in West Cork unless I am running a course in Cork city. Being a vegetarian, when I am in Cork I go to Paradiso, the Quay Co-op and Sonflour.

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

Watching a good drama on Netflix or Sky Atlantic, reading a book. I love reading, it helps me relax. I read all sorts of books. I prefer a real book to a digital one.

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

Anytime from 7am, depending on what my diary looks like that day. Being freelance has its benefits!

Anything else you are up to right now...

The other hat I wear – and am equally passionate about – is that I am a director, producer, and screenwriter. I have developed a number of film and television projects which take a long time to get financed, so that also helps me to keep busy! Even if I win an Oscar for one of my films, I will still work with people and businesses, helping them to stand up and speak in public. The difference it makes to people is priceless.