Q&A: Irish figure skater Conor Stakelum - 'I know I should say I have an interest in hurling but I really don’t. It’s just not my thing'

Conor Stakelum, 24, is Ireland’s top male ice skater. The four-time Irish champion, from Stillorgan in Dublin, developed his skills originally on the Dundalk Ice Dome and in Belfast, but is now training full-time in Dundee, Scotland. Last weekend, in Germany, he became the first Irishman to qualify for figure skating’s senior European Championships.

Q: How did you discover you had a talent for ice skating?

A: I went to one of those temporary Christmas ice rinks in Booterstown when I was around 12 and took to it straight away. I used to travel up and down to the Dundalk Ice Dome to practise and get lessons and when it closed in 2010 went up to Belfast for training.