DEMPSEY’S DESTINATION

Broadcaster and Today FM breakfast show presenter Ian Dempsey tells Siobhán Breatnach about pandemic life, summer plans and the one song his family have banned him from playing evnedr again

How do you plan to spend your summer holidays this year?

We have two hotels booked in Ireland and have bought flights to Portugal on the off chance that it’s okay to leave the country. In Ireland, we are going to Waterford and Killarney. This year we also had a magical time in an unusually quiet Doolin in Co. Clare - normally the buzziest place in the world.

Where are your favourite places to visit in Ireland on a staycation?

Doolin is amazing. A real switch off and always great fun. I also always look forward to going to Cork - the city is so vibrant and the county is exquisite. The people of Cork are something else.

What music would feature on your perfect holiday soundtrack?

Lots of David Bowie of course but I love driving in Ireland with Irish music playing on my speakers. Everything from Paul Brady, Christy Moore, and The Saw Doctors to Picture This, Róisín O and U2.

What’s your regular day been like during the pandemic?

For the first part of 2020, I was broadcasting from my sitting room but thankfully I’m back now in our Today FM studios. It was handy being at home but the novelty wears off fairly quickly. At the moment my routine is very similar every day doing the breakfast show, getting home, having dinner but I really look forward (almost religiously) to 5pm on Fridays, when I have my first G&T of the weekend. I have a Spotify playlist that I use every week and it’s timed to start playing ‘It’s five O’Clock Somewhere’ by Alan Jackson, at the stroke of five. My family never want to hear the song again!

What’s the first holiday you remember going on and what made it so memorable?

As a family, when I was very young, we stayed in a place called Warrenpoint in Co. Down just beyond Newry. It was by the sea and the house we rented had not only public binoculars across the road but also a locked room with a ‘private’ sign on it - intriguing when you’re seven years old.

What’s the best holiday you ever had?

My wife Ger and I went to Sorrento in late 2019 and stayed in the most amazing hotel called Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, which is in the Centre but cut off by its gardens, so it’s really quiet but only meters away from the small streets, restaurants, bars, and

markets. Our bedroom balcony overlooked The Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Heaven on earth.

What local spots do you enjoy?

I live in Sutton so I’m just minutes away from Howth, which is a self-contained principality. You could really function there quite easily - okay there’s no bank or petrol station but apart from that, it’s all there. The East pier and the West pier are great to stroll along and there are amazing places to discover up beyond The Summit. Just like they say Howth is magic.

What’s the one thing you always pack when you go on holiday in Ireland?

At the moment my Today FM mask but usually as little as possible. These days I look in my wardrobe and pick out loads of things that match each other, so I can make my mind up as I go along and even get dressed in the dark if I have to.

What makes Ireland such a great place to travel?

The most important thing about Ireland is the people who live here. People from Ireland and around the world have a certain way about them when they breathe in the Irish air. Nowadays, the accommodation is world-class, the food is uniquely great quality and we love to talk and drink and get deep and laugh. I hope post-pandemic we can still do all that.

What’s new or coming up on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show?

It all happens here! You never know what’s around the corner. We have just given a car away this week so there was great excitement and with lockdown hopefully easing the plan is to get out and about bringing the show across Ireland. We’ll keep you posted.

The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show airs Monday to Friday from 7-9am on Today FM