Question of taste: Patricia Messenger

Patricia Messenger is the presenter of Cork Today radio show on C103. She is from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, but has been living in Cork since 1990.

Best recent book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I was a bit late getting to this book as it was published in 1988.I read so many books for review on the programme I don’t get a lot of time to read books just for me.

Best recent film: Room. A well deserved Oscar for Brie Larson plus I loved the fact the movie adaptation of the book stayed loyal to the source.

Best recent show: Riverdance Live at the Marquee. I have seen it a few times but it was great to see it without having to travel. A show that always makes me proud to be Irish.

How do you access music?

I’m a recent convert to Spotify and love the choice that it offers at the touch of a button.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately: Adele‘s latest album 25. We have waited four years since her last album was starting to worry she won’t do another one.

First ever show or gig that really moved you: The first show I remember crying at was Miss Saigon the music still moves me to this day.

Best show you’ve ever been at: I don’t even have to think about this one it has got to be Wicked. My only regret is not seeing Idina Menzel as Elphaba, the night I went she was understudied and it was her last week in the role in the West End.

Tell us about your TV viewing: I’m a current affairs nut so most of my viewing centres around news programmes and chat shows. Outside of that I love period dramas and was gutted when Downton Abbey finished.

Radio listening: Needless to say, C103 is on all the time at home but I love podcasts and my guilty pleasure is the breakfast show on Kiss in Sydney Kyle and Jackie O.

Name three broadcast heroes: The late Terry Wogan ( absolute genius), the late Vincent Hanley (from my home town Clonmel and one of the reasons I got into radio) and I’m a huge fan of Marian Finucane.

Best celebrity encounter: I spent a wonderful New Year’s eve with Rebecca Storm at the Lodge and Spa, Inchydoney, Co Cork, and a nicer celebrity you could not meet!

Most expensive item of clothing you’ve ever bought: I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a ball dress for the PPI radio awards which paid off when I won best current affairs show of the year.

Tech habits: I’m an Apple gadget nut. I go nowhere without my ipad or iphone and have a Macbook pro at home. I use them for both work and pleasure.

Unsung heroes: St Joseph’s Foundation, Charleville Co Cork is where our deaf, blind daughter Marsha attends for day care services. They provide people with disabilities the opportunity to live the life of their choice to their fullest potential. They struggle on a yearly basis to get the funding they need to keep going yet they do keep going and the campus is such a happy place to visit. All the staff are real unsung heroes. While now a young adult, Marsha requires a lot of attention but our lives are blessed with her in it.

You are queen for a day — what’s your first decree: My first decree every Monday would be a bank holiday. Sure who doesn’t love a bank holiday weekend!!