Saturday with Francis Brennan: Prior to selling the hotel I never had a weekend to myself 

Francis Brennan shares how he spends his weekends in Kenmare, from Tai Chi and volunteering to cooking, travel and late-night reading

Francis Brennan

09.00

I get up between 9am and 10am. Prior to selling the hotel I never had a weekend to myself as weekends are obviously the busiest times in the hotel business. I’ll have a shower and brush my teeth and then I’ll have some breakfast. I live in a top floor apartment so if it’s a nice morning I’ll have my breakfast on the terrace where I have about 20 plant pots. I’ll have yoghurt, a banana, McCambridge’s brown bread, tea and a mandarin orange.

The only time I drink coffee is when I go to America where I only drink coffee because the water is never boiled enough for a proper cup of tea. I visit the States about three times a year. In my hotel years I would have travelled there a lot doing workshops and events with Tourism Ireland, Relais & Châteaux or Ireland’s Blue Book. I’m still very much involved in the industry though now it’s more in the role of mentor. Nowadays I travel mostly for pleasure - I recently went to Venice at the drop of a hat with old college friends of mine - it was the first time I thought ‘I’m retired, I can do anything’.

11.00

I do a chair workout and seated Tai Chi every day using an app - 19 minutes of exercises that are supposed to increase your energy and make you look wonderful. I do walk but I have to be very careful where I walk because I’ve a bad foot. The county council has done a fantastic job on the walk here in Kenmare from the pier to the other side of the bay. If I have friends to visit and we’re going out for a late breakfast I’ll take them to Poffs.

I’m the Kerry ambassador for Age Friendly Ireland so I might be appearing at some event or other with them. I also work with Vincent de Paul too so I might be filming something for them and then, of course, I work with Dunnes Stores.

Age Friendly Ireland is a fantastic organisation - the amount of free things that are going on around the country is unbelievable and the libraries play a great part in that too. I think a lot of people retire and do nothing and then grow old very quickly. One of the things that Age Friendly Ireland does is they get TY students to interact with older people showing them how to use their laptops and so on and it’s great because it connects the generations in a very simple way. They also go to people’s houses and do accident audits - it’s unbelievable all the things they do.

14.00

I will get the paper and then head home and read it from cover to cover except for the sports section which I use to polish my shoes. I’m not disinterested in sport though - if Rory McIlroy is playing or Ireland is playing in the Six Nations I’ll watch it - I’ll watch any sport in support of Ireland.

John and Francis Brennan at Barnahown, Mitchelstown, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

If I have friends down for a visit I will take them to my brother’s place, The Boathouse at Dromquinna Manor. On a sunny day you’d swear you were in the South of France.

If I’m in town, I’ll go to The Lansdowne as they get lovely sunshine there and if I want a light meal I’ll go to PF McCarthy’s.

16.00

If I’m on my own and not going out, I’ll be back at home thinking about what I’m making for dinner. I cook for myself every night - usually something like lamb chops, pork steak or a breast of chicken with vegetables and rice or potatoes. I know a lot of bachelors would have a ready meal but I like to cook for myself and never scrimp on dinner.

18.00

If there are people in town who are visiting but not staying with me I might meet them in The Lansdowne or in Crowleys which is the real Irish pub downtown. We might go to Sheen Falls Lodge - especially if they are international guests who want something a little salubrious.

22.30

I don’t drink, so if people are going to a bar after dinner I’ll come home at around 10.30. I’ll listen to Late Date on RTE Radio One and read a book and be as happy as Larry.

02.00

I’ll look at the clock and realise it’s 2am at which point I’ll get ready for bed. I love to read - I’ve just finished London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe and I’m on Empire of Pain by the same author. I recently read Liz Nugent’s The Truth about Ruby Cooper. I was on stage with Ryan Tubridy in the Cork Opera House recently where I spoke about The Kite Runner, still one of my favourite books. I have always needed very little sleep - even when I worked in the hotel I’d go to bed at 2am and be up at 7.20.

• Age Friendly Ireland is the national programme supporting 31 local authorities and communities across the country to prepare for an ageing population. From housing and transport to public spaces, local services and support at home, its role is to help make Ireland a better place in which to grow older. agefriendlyireland.ie