Mad Hatter Q&A: Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Ceann Comhairle

Who would be the last person you would invite to your birthday party?
Donald Trump.

Who would be the first person you would invite to your birthday party?
My wife, Mary Clare.

Favourite saying?
Far away hills are green.

Favourite record?
'Hold Back The River' - James Bay.

Favourite book?
The Master by Colm Toibin.

Favourite film?
Dances With Wolves.

Favourite author?
John McGahern.

Favourite actor/actress?
Was Meryl Streep now Saoirse Ronan.

Favourite musician?
Finbar Furey but band is Picture This.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
Telling a lady at the doorstep canvass that my Party in Government had looked after pensioners only to discover that she wasn’t 65.

Favourite food/drink/stimulant?
Tea.

TV programme?
At present, Dublin Murders.

Favourite TV personality?
Mary Kennedy.

Favourite item of clothing?
Blue jeans and t-shirt.

Most desirable date?
Dinner at a good Chinese with a refreshing bottle of Pinot.

Favourite method of relaxation?
Walking the fields of the family farm without a mobile phone.

If you weren’t pursuing your present career, what other career might you have chosen?
I would have liked to have studied law and might do so yet.

Biggest thrill?
Witnessing the birth of each of our four children.

Biggest disappointment?
Witnessing the economic crash after 2008.

Your concept of heaven?
Good friends, good food and good whiskey.

Your concept of hell?
Seeing the loss of young life and being powerless to do anything about it.

What would be your dying words?
I hope I did enough.

Greatest ambition?
To see each member of my family educated and settled.

Period of history you’d most like to have lived in and why?
1920s/1930s as a new independent nation was being forged.

If you weren’t a human being which animal would you have chosen to be?
A horse.

If you were told that the world was ending tomorrow morning, how would you react/what would you do?
Pray.

Your nominee for the world’s best-dressed person?
Sadly I don’t have a sufficient concept of fashion to answer this question.

Favourite term of abuse?
I don’t do abuse and only use parliamentary language!

Biggest fear?
Failure.

Humanity’s most useful invention?
Mobile phone.

Humanity’s most useless invention?
Gaming consoles