Niamh Kavanagh: As a family of five travel was hard, but still we travelled all over Ireland
Niamh Kavanagh won Eurovision in 1993 with 'In Your Eyes'
Singer Niamh Kavanagh won Eurovision for Ireland in 1993 with In Your Eyes and has been racking up air miles ever since, from walking the Portuguese Camino to dining at an ice hotel in Norway. With Eurovision 2026 upon us, she shares the trips that have stayed with her and the adventure still firmly on her list.
As a family of five (two adults and three girls), it was always just that little more expensive for us to travel abroad. But we travelled all over Ireland and loved the adventures so much. There was always a feeling that another more beautiful place was just around the corner. We visited most of the west coast and then we discovered Courtown, which had the delight of the beach and not being too far from Dublin.
Then Easter holiday 1981, I got to visit Gran Canaria. It was a package holiday and very exotic to us all. My first time on a plane and sitting by a pool and being guaranteed sun was a new experience. I mostly just remember that my Dad shaved his beard off for the first and last time and surprised us all including him and I got sunburned really bad because I wasn’t used to putting on sunscreen and fell asleep on a rooftop.
My work life for many years has included a lot of travel and I can safely say that I have travelled nearly all over the world for work, which is a different experience to holidays. From age 18 to 28, I didn’t have a lot of time to travel for leisure. So a lot of my memorable trips from then are around work experiences, for example singing with Bette Midler in Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and staying on Sunset Boulevard. Staying in the Ritz in New York and singing at Radio City for the Grammys. Travelling to Nashville or recording an album and exploring all it had to offer including a visit to Memphis to see Graceland and all about.
Most of my memorable trips are later in life, I climbed a ziggurat in Mexico when you could still climb them. Standing on the top of Notre Dame looking over all of Paris, one of my favourite cities to walk. Walking into the square in Santiago De Compostela finishing my Portuguese Camino is probably my most memorable holiday ever. The feeling of achievement to finish the 634km walk that we did over a couple of years was astonishing.
I think Kautokeino in Alta, Norway. I went there on a day trip during the Eurovision and then again last year as part of a documentary. I loved visiting and learning all about the Sami tribe, it was fascinating and the scenery was amazing. I loved the people.
They were so enthusiastic to share their heritage and still lived most of the traditions they had while embracing the parts of modern life that worked for them without damaging the way of life.
I love Paris, there is a rhythm to life there that is beautiful. There is history everywhere and you just ‘walk’ the city. I love the energy of the people and surroundings.
On my first visit I climbed to the top of everything except the Eiffel Tower, but really it’s the small museums and the feel of the city as you walk around it.
I just love it. One of the best feelings I had was standing at the top of Notre Dame back in the day and just understanding the significance of all you can see. To be fair, I feel that in any city I go to, I love to take the tour around any city so I can get a feel for life there.
I have stayed in so many hotels over the years, mainly for work, and they have been of many standards, but my favourite hotel ever was the Shelbourne Hotel.
It was for work so I was put up in a lovely suite and the service was beautiful and yet personal.
The food was gorgeous, the suite was luxurious but also felt comfortable so you weren’t afraid to sit anywhere, I was overlooking St Stephen’s Green and I was able to just walk out into the bustle of Dublin.
Such a great experience.
You are talking my language now! I love food, from prep to cooking and more importantly eating it! Nearly everywhere I have travelled I try the local cuisine and go to the food markets. I guess it would be the tasting menu I ate in the Ice Hotel in Alta, Sorrisniva it was called.
They invited us there during Eurovision 2010 and they created this menu that celebrated their culture. It featured fish and reindeer, but it was cooked so beautifully, I still remember the first bite of gravlax.
On city holidays I love to walk the city, as you know Paris is right up there for me. But on a reset ‘get away from it all’ holiday it is definitely walking. I love the concept of all I have to do today is go from here to there and enjoy what I see on the way and who I share the walk with. Which is why I loved doing the Camino, but I equally love doing it anywhere in Ireland, we are so blessed in this country to have the most amazing walks. You can pick any county and find places that will fill your soul and remind you that you are human.
I have always wanted to sing at the Sydney Opera House, now I know that more than likely I may need to do that on the guided tour and not as a featured artist, but I will be equally happy with that so I can say I did it!
I’ll be honest, I kept waiting for my work to bring me there, but I think I may just start that plan and go…
There is no immediate plan yet, but my husband is celebrating his 70th birthday next year so I might drag him along for the experience.
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