A question of taste: Rita O’Driscoll

Rita O’Driscoll is from Skibbereen, and works in her hometown as development manager of Uilinn, West Cork Arts Centre. She worked with AIB in Cork before joining her husband in a family business for 20 years and also studied interior design, followed by a BA in visual arts on Sherkin Island.

Best recent book: I happened to pick up On the Road by Jack Kerouac in a second-hand book store. Interesting read.

Best recent film: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I’m a huge fan of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, so it was a winner for me!

Best recent show: The Liontamer, at the Granary theatre in Cork. My son was acting in it and I was blown away by the whole play. When it comes to the best, I have to honestly say that Daphne Wright’s ‘Antrum’, with her still life of ‘Sons’, here at Uillinn, was really amazing.

What formats do you access music? I have a Spotify account and use iTunes, but like to have CDs for the car.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately: I hadn’t played Bob Dylan for some time and recently listened to ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. This took me back.

The first ever piece of music or art or film or gig that really moved you: Ana Mendieta’s ‘Traces’ exhibition in London. I spent hours there. At the time, I was working on an installation, based on the industrial school in Baltimore, dealing with the erasing of the children’s identities.

Also, the visit of President Michael D Higgins to open Uillinn: West Cork Art Centre was a really special day. It was a privilege to meet him and experience his enthusiasm for the arts. Crowds came to greet him. The atmosphere was electric.

The best gig or show you’ve ever seen: U2 on The Joshua Tree tour in 1987 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Tell us about your TV viewing: The Graham Norton Show, The View with John Kelly, and documentaries. Soaps are a big no-no.

Radio listening: Mostly RTÉ Radio 1 —Arena with Sean Rocks; and Arts Tonight with Vincent Woods; and John Creedon, as he plays such a diverse range of music.

Best recent holiday or weekend break: The Fastnet Short Film Festival, in Schull, with one of our sons last month. I loved the variety and quality of the entries and especially the unique ways in which they were screened. I will be back next year.

Your best celebrity encounter: Some years back, we had docked in Sherkin Island with friends, and Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack and their two sons pulled in on their boat. We passed pleasantries and got on with family enjoyments. We left and returned to our house across the bay and noticed Jeremy pulling up to our boat on its mooring. When we returned to it, we realised we had left our camera on the beach and they had very kindly returned it. We still have treasured family photos taken that day.

Most expensive item of clothing you’ve ever bought: With my first bonus in AIB, I bought a pair of leather boots. They cost a fortune, even by today’s standards!

Tech habits: I am a big Apple fan. I love my MacBook Pro even more than my Ipad and Iphone. My GoPro camera is my other favourite, so many ways to use it.

Unsung hero — individual, organisation or group you think don’t get the profile/praise they deserve: Cathy Carlton, of Cystic Fibrosis Association Cork. She is a hero to so many families.

You are queen for a day – what’s your first decree? I would ban all technology for a day and get back to basics.