A Question of Taste: Derek Burke

Derek Burke is from Lisgoold, near Midleton, Co Cork.
He’s best known as part of the family band Crystal Swing, currently on hiatus. Burke is currently appearing on RTÉ One travel show Celebrity Globetrotters (Thursdays, 8.30pm) and has also started a new band called Red Zetor.
I’m not a huge reader unfortunately as I don’t get the time but when I do I enjoy reading books like Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small. Also Adam Henson’s books — he’s a presenter on BBCs Country file.
Bohemian Rhapsody, about Freddie Mercury in Queen.
When Ed Sheeran came to Cork. It may not be my exact style of music but you have to give him credit for the effects and sounds he can make as a one-man show.
It would have to be Dire Straits, with Marc Knopfler, and Paul Franklin on pedal steel.
It would have to be one of our own native country/show band acts. We have such talented people here in Ireland.
I was very lucky to be asked to join Celebrity Globetrotters. We were six people, with six very different back grounds, but we all got along so well. I would never have said I was a travel person even though I got to travel a lot with music, but I enjoyed Morrocco so much I’d love to go on a holiday like that again and see the culture of countries. We got to visit so many exciting places it was amazing.
It would be when we went to a local market to buy a goat for the Berber family high up the Atlas mountains as a present. We bought this goat as there not into material gifts like we are.
I would listen a lot to local radio like C103, 96fm, Red fm, and also to RTÉ Radio 1. I like to listen to chat show programmes more then music ones.
Meeting Ellen DeGeneres when we performed on her show in Hollywood. It was such a highlight in my career
The Beatles, Marc Knopfler and Elvis.
My grand uncle Jim. He was a farmer and had 12 kids in his family. But he was a character, he taught me to drive and my love of machinery. He passed away two years ago at the age of 91 and I miss the chats I used have with him. He was a character in our village
The Healy Rae’s. For country people they are the business. The Kingdom are lucky to have them. Some of the best roads are found in Kerry.
I’d make sure to change life a bit. I’d close all shops/business on a Sunday so people could spend that day at home with their families. I think our lives are filled with running and racing.