This much I know: Broadcaster Marcus Connaughton

I was the school hippy. I grew my hair long and was into debating. I didn’t necessarily follow any of the other dictates of being a hippy.

I always had a love of music, and of radio, but I never thought I’d work in it. There was a real magic to radio when I was growing up.

I was born in 1952 and remember a time before television, trying to seek out rock and roll on stations like Radio Luxembourg. I started going to music festivals when I was only a teenager. My parents were blissfully unaware of what went on.

I’ve had three careers. The first was in Bord Failte. We had a visit from Jamake Marks, a critic with The New York Times who came over to meet the big names on the rock scene. I spent all my time going to gigs when I wasn’t working so I was able to tell him about Paddy Moloney, Phil Lynott, Gary Moore and the rest and he said ‘You’re in the wrong job’. He was absolutely right. So I moved to working for the record label Polydor and then into the local record industry but it was hard to make a living from it and in 1988 I applied to be a radio producer in RTÉ.

I have done over 25 years in RTÉ and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I’ve produced all kinds of programming from the Metal Show on 2FM to Bluestime on Radio 1, to their maritime programme, Seascapes, which I now present and produce.

I’ve had a love of the sea ever since I grew up on Dublin’s North side. I used to fish off the shore at Sutton and from Howth pier.

We’re not good at encouraging people here in Ireland which is a shame as it is the essence of living. When I was 12, I had a wonderful national school teacher called Dick Condon In St Assam’s in Raheny who encouraged me greatly. He was special for me and I appreciated that.

I met my wife Helen in the Henry Grattan bar. She is a theatre nurse and she keeps me very grounded. You only need to talk to her about some of the things she has seen in places like Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital.

I play the harmonica now and again but I try not to embarrass the good musicians. I enjoy walking the hills with my two dogs, they’re from the same litter and getting on a bit. I also like to garden.

I live in West Waterford. I came for three weeks in 1994 and the people were so open and friendly that I stayed. I’m attempting to move back to Cork again.

The traits I most admire in others are frankness and honesty. One of my faults is I have this innate male failing of thinking I can get from Carrigaline to Crosshaven to Kinsale in about an hour.

If I could change one thing in society it would have to be poverty.

My biggest challenge was the death of my father when I was 19. Something like that can hit you when it happens or it can hit you later on. It hit me in my 40s, even though my mum lived for many years after my father.

My idea of misery is the absence of any of the senses. We take them so much for granted.

I can be an early riser or a night bird but wouldn’t want to be a baker.

If I could be someone else for a day I’d be Patrick Leigh Fermor, the great travel writer. He is one of my heroes, especially for writing about his Greek travels.

I’ve most of my life behind me now and will retire in two years. As you get older, I think you fit into your life more, you appreciate the changes that go on in everybody’s life and you can see where you are going more clearly.

One of my favourite sayings is that it’s very important to have a plan B. And, it’s almost as important to have a plan C.

My advice to anyone reading this is to believe in yourself. The ability to do so is a real gift. You can be anybody you want to be, if you believe strongly enough.

You can listen to Marcus each week on RTÉ’s Seascapes (Friday @ 10:30pm). Marcus Connaughton is also Ambassador for Cork Heritage Open Day, which takes place on Saturday, August 22 and celebrates the built heritage of Cork. Over 40 buildings will open their doors today free of charge to the public — ranging from medieval to military, civic to commercial and educational to ecclesiastical.

See corkheritageopenday.ie