A FILM BUFF, READER AND QPR FOOTIE FAN!
THE man behind the councillor can be found in O’Neills pub on Church Hill enjoying a ‘ good pint in good company.’ Sligo’s newest councillor is also not adverse to a good film.
In fact the movie buff has been known to binge on a good box set of a weekend - that’s when his beloved Queen Park Rangers are not playing of course. The London- based team is a throwback to where he was born as he spent the first four years of his life in the UK capital before relocating with his family to Sligo. Apart from a few months in Galway, Chris has never lived anywhere else.
He even bought his own home just a couple of doors down from the house he was reared in. There’s a racing bike in that house Chris hopes to take out: “I’m full of good intentions. I did lose 4 stone in the last few years so must get cycling again.”
For a lover of film, it was a dream come true for Chris when renowned director Ken Loach approached him to gather extras for his film ‘ Jimmy Hall.’ He then asked if Chris would audition for a part, which he subsequently got.
“It’s like someone who never played professional football finding themselves playing for Brazil in a world cup final,” he jokes. But has he caught the acting bug? Chris says although he would like to act more, his performances will only be of a political nature going forward.
Having ran in the 2016 General Election, Chris got more than 7,000 votes. “Having hit the crossbar last time around or come relatively close I would definitely like to run again,” he says.
Fresh from the Northern Ireland elections last week, his biggest love is politics and the 44- year old admits it may even have got in the way of him ‘ settling down.’
“It is one of the regrets that I have that I never really took the time to try and settle down. I’ve had relationships over the years but have never met Mrs. Right. Or maybe Politics has taken up too much of my time to give Mrs. Right what she needs, but you never know what is around the corner,” Chris says.
Looking back on his political career Chris says he is most proud of the Cranmore regeneration project which he first mooted. “I was leading the charge on Cranmore and it will be one of my personal projects that I will be articulating now that I’m back on the council.”
He describes himself as a bit of a political anorak, shy by nature but he will never be afraid to be vocal on local issues such as housing and developing infrastructure.