LIFESTYLE Q&A:Diarmaid Ferriter, historian, broadcaster and professor of Modern Irish History at UCD
Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
I’m cynical about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. I’m aware of too many healthy people who have been struck down and other people with supposedly deadly habits who continue to thrive. Over the past 20 years I have smoked, eaten and drunk far too much, but I’m also addicted to constant and fast physical movement, so I like to think of my lifestyle as somewhere in between.
How often do you exercise?
Six times a week. I run 20-25 miles a week and I walk a lot. If you’re so disposed, I think running can make a very positive contribution to mental as well as physical health.
Do you get your five a day?
Usually I do. I used to treat breakfast as an irrelevance, but now I have three young daughters and I like eating with them and taking breakfast, including fruit, seriously. I love green vegetables, so they are a part of nearly all dinners.
Do you worry?
Only when the kids or my wife Sheila are out of sorts. I’ve got better at switching off. I’m a bad sleeper, but not because of worry; it’s just in my nature not to be settled for long.
What do you do to relax?
Unwind with Sheila while eating dinner, especially the Sunday roast, when the kids are asleep. I also relax by listening to and chatting with the kids, running, walking, drinking wine, spending time with people who know what’s important in life and watching a bit of television. I love the relaxation of reading the newspapers with a pint.
What’s your unhealthiest habit?
Getting up too early, taking on too much work, eating too much chocolate and always having one more drink for the road. I discovered last year I have high cholesterol, so I’m cutting back on butter and cheese.
Diarmaid Ferriter’s new history series,
The Limits of Liberty
, will be broadcast by RTÉ television in June
