Dr Pat Donlon - Director, Tyrone Guthrie Centre
What’s your earliest holiday memory?
Going to Salthill with my sister where we would take long bracing walks on the promenade. You’d wait to be snapped by photographers. It was the days when not many people had cameras, so they would press a ticket into your hand and you could order a photo if you wanted.
What was your worst holiday?
A week in a caravan in Barna with my sister, her husband and their six-week-old colicky baby. If that wasn’t enough, a large young untrained Labrador kept bounding into the caravan with his paws and wet fur everywhere. It also rained for the entire week and has put me off caravans for life.
What was your best holiday?
After I had a stroke in 1997, my friend Trish brought me to Cinque Terre, a group of five villages in Liguria, Italy, which cling to the rocks. You can only get there by boat or train and there are no cars allowed.
I completely fell in love with it and have gone back once or twice every year since to Vernazza with my friends Kate, Trish and spouses. We call ourselves the Cinque Terre five.
We spend days sitting on the roof terrace or under the yellow umbrellas of the cafe below the apartment for hours reading books, drinking prosecco and watching the parade of day tourists.
We know the locals, such as Paolo in the Captain’s bar, the artist Antonio in his shop, the lovely large cheerful man who sits outside his house mending chairs in the alleyway. The tiny bay has a special place in my heart and a rhythm of life all its own.
If budget or work were not a restriction, what would be your dream holiday?
When I was younger I really wanted to go to Mexico. I studied Spanish and wanted to experience the music, the art, the people and to see Frida Kahlo’s house. But now I no longer have a great desire to go halfway round the world and I’m content to read about Mexico instead. If money were no object I’d go back to Liguria, but I’d probably stay in a wonderful hotel on the hill in Portofino where all the film stars go after Cannes.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?
Phelim, my husband, provided I remember to bring my ear plugs! But failing that the Cinque Terre five as we get on so well. Also my grandchildren – we have a tradition when each of them reaches 10 we bring them away. So far we’ve been to London, Paris and Seville.
What’s your favourite place in Ireland?
Kilkenny county and city, especially during arts week when there are great exhibitions and readings.
Your recommended holiday reading?
I’m a voracious reader. I always bring an anthology of poetry and four or five latest novels. I like good literature that completely absorbs me. When I go away with Kate and Trish, we decide what each of us is going to bring and we swap them.
Where will you go to next?
I retire this month, so am taking a weekend trip to Salzburg in January to celebrate both my and Mozart’s birthday with a group of friends where we will enjoy lots of music and food.
* In conversation with
Genevieve Carbery
* Dr Pat Donlon is retiring this month as director of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, tyroneguthrie.ie