A Question of Taste: Cathal Murray

Athlone native Cathal Murray presents Late Date on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday to Thursday from 11pm.

Best recent book you’ve read: Beatlebone by Kevin Barry: John Lennon’s adventures around Co Mayo (John once owned an island in Clew Bay) brilliantly imagined by the author.

Best recent film: The Florida Project about a young mother struggling to bring up her six-year-old daughter in a dingy motel near Disney World. Brilliantly acted with Willem Dafoe so good as the compassionate motel manager.

Best recent show/gig you’ve seen: Watching Fionn Regan from the wings live at St Lukes was very special. It was part of Sounds From a Safe Harbour, a festival of music, art and conversation which was held in Cork last September and put together by Mary Hickson, who I know from my days in UCC. I got to introduce Fionn on stage, and watch him sing those beautiful songs up close.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old): So much to choose from (a very pleasant occupational hazard) but I’ve really been enjoying The Curious Hand by Seamus Fogarty. This melodic, poetic, and quirky collection was overlooked for the shortlist for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year.

First ever piece of music or art that really moved you: It was a piece of music — ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ by Johann Sebastian Bach. We sang it in the Marist Primary School Choir in Athlone. I have vivid memories of our teacher, Fintan Farrelly, playing it to us on the piano for the first time — it was the most beautiful melody I’d ever heard — still is.

The best gig or show you’ve ever seen (if you had to pick one!): This changes from time to time but as we approach Prince’s second anniversary (I still can’t believe he’s gone) his show in Malahide Castle in 2011 stands out.

Tell us about your TV viewing: Not much to tell here as I work at night and my time is spent listening to music to play on Late Date (it goes without saying I love my job).

I’ll switch on the TV for the Six One news (I used to work in the RTÉ newsroom as presenter of their children news programme News2Day).

Radio listening and/or podcasts: I recently started listening to a podcast called You Must Remember This presented by Karina Longworth who is an old Hollywood historian — Tinseltown myths and tales when stars were stars long before they were sanitised by social media. I listen to what my Radio 1 music colleagues are playing (every presenter gets to pick their own music/invite the listener into their own musical landscape which is great). I’m glad John Kelly’s Mystery Train is back on the tracks.

You’re curating your dream festival — which three artists are on the bill, living or dead?

Prince, Cocteau Twins and Athlone- born tenor Count John McCormack.

Your best celebrity encounter: Hanging out backstage with Spinal Tap after their “single-date world tour” in London’s Wembley Arena back in 2009 (my excitement levels went way beyond 11).

You can portal back to any period of cultural history or music event — where, when, and why?

December 8 1980, The Dakota, New York City. I’d walk up to John Lennon’s would-be assassin, whisper in his ear “Careful now” and give him a kick up the hole. The world is a less interesting place without John in it, I think he would have loved Twitter.

Do you have any interesting ancestors or family?

My ancestors, on my mother’s side, came from the Inishkea Islands off the coast of Mayo which have been deserted since the 1930s. I’ve read a lot about them — they put the “Wild” into the Atlantic Way!

Unsung heroes: Ireland’s carers. They sacrifice so much to look after people of age, disability or illness. Saints, all of them, who deserve more support.

You are king for a day — what’s your first decree?

I’d get The Smiths to reform. Then rest.