John Creedon’s house is a sizeable art-deco building dating from the '30s. It’s located in a quiet but cosmopolitan district of Cork, overlooking his beloved city and only a stone’s throw, down a steep hill, to the city centre.
Only the other day the affable and loquacious Corkman came across a group of Austrians admiring the house and discussing its architectural appeal.
“That art-deco style has the advantage that it will always look modern,” he explains, “I took to it the first time I saw it and we were delighted to move back here in the summer of 2001 – particularly since I grew up in the neighbourhood at the bottom of the hill.”
The “we” he refers to are his wife Mona and four daughters – while in a sedate Victorian environment, the house itself is hardly a haven of tranquillity.
“With four daughters, we also get our fair share of sleep-overs. So it’s a busy house most of the time. Fortunately, none of us are especially house-proud, so we can live with a bit of untidiness.
It is at this stage that he introduces me to Sandy and Pip, his two beloved dogs, who add to the general bustle of energy that infects the household.
Creedon’s geographical move up the hill reflects the rise and rise of his career. His most recent success was a PPI Radio award in the closing months of 2005. It sits alongside his Fairplay for Airplay and Jacobs awards from previous years.
Better than any accolade, however, was the news that his RTE Radio 1 programme was to shift to the afternoon with a virtual doubling in airtime, a development that has Creedon bubbling with enthusiasm.
His reputation as a well-informed music fan is not only reflected in the music he broadcasts, but in the stuff he listens to at home.
On the programme you’ll hear a wide spread of material, from local band Fred to The Beatles, Nina Simone, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. His record collection is arguably even more eclectic, with albums by Miles Davis and John Coltrane mingling with selections of Americana, Eric Bibb, John Prine and the Handsome Family. For her part, one of his daughters is a big Westlife fan.
Creedon is not a huge believer in bringing his work home. “I usually work on the programme in the RTE studios in Cork where I broadcast from, and that’s where I keep most of the records I need for the programme. Between myself and our researcher, Tim Desmond, we listen to everything we get. But at home I listen to music nearly all the time.”
Indeed, his home collection includes a very special item – the first record he ever got, a Louis Armstrong vinyl record his mother bought for him way back when.
Creedon is a Corkman through and through. This is obvious not only from his burly accent but in his unapologetic love of all things Leeside.
“I’m actually a slow reader, but I love books on local history and folklore. I just love living here in this city,” he says. “As I grow older I’ve become even more aware of a sense of place. I’m conscious of the history of the city, the people over the centuries who’ve walked on the very same lumps of ground that I walk on today”.
His radio listening tends towards talk-dominated programmes. “I’m a big fan of Vincent Browne,” he confesses. “I used to get up giving out about men in suits after hearing the morning news. Now I tend to listen to Lyric FM and Raidio na Gaeltachta in the morning instead. Somehow the news doesn’t sound so bad when you hear it in Irish.”
Creedon is highly selective about television, preferring factual programmes. He is openly disdainful of reality TV. “I watch National Geographic a lot, and Animal Planet, but not much of the music stations. More wildlife and current affairs too. I like The Panel and Blizzard of Odd,” he says.
One of the most striking aspects of his house is his collection of Cork City football memorabilia. “I have loads of mementos from Cork City games from all over the place, including Europe. I love going to the games and I love the fans. We’re like a huge band of brothers and there’s a terrific sense of comradeship when you’re with them. We really look out for each other,” he tells me with a fierce sense of loyalty and pride.
Somehow I don’t see Creedon moving house any time in the near future, and he concurs. “I love it here. From the house I have a fine view out over Patrick Street, and I can see right across to the floodlights at Turner’s Cross [Cork City’s home ground]. A few minutes walk gets me to the Savoy, or the Opera House, or the Everyman Theatre or to fine pubs and restaurants. I’m a few minutes away from RTE’s studios.”
Right now, his new programme is foremost in his thoughts. “We’re going to have comedy strands from people like Fiona Looney and Paul Woodful, as well as live music sessions. I want to work on an idea we have for five-minute philosophies linked to specific songs. I have it all here, literally, at my feet. Sure what more could a Cork boy want?”
What more indeed.
Pic: David O'Mahony