Favourite TV show?
At the moment it's Motherland, which is written by Sharon Horgan and Graham Linehan. I'm not a parent, but it's one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. It makes me realise why I don't have kids: the harassment that poor parents have to go through. And an honourable mention to Alison Spittle's Nowhere Fast; I think she did a great job.
Album
I keep relistening to Arctic Monkeys' debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. I was living in Australia when it first came out, and that became a soundtrack to my year away. It reflected what we were going through in our youth; the lyrics are beautiful metaphors wrapped up in literal events. Ever since then if I'm ever feeling down, I'll put it on and sing at the top of my lungs.
Play
I'm excited that Dublin Oldschool by Emmet Kirwan is being made into a film – they were filming in Dublin over summer. I saw it in the Project Arts Centre a couple of years ago and I was blown away. It's spoken word in the form of a rap, and it's unbelievable what it hits on: homelessness, families breaking apart, but there's joy in it as well.
Podcast
I don't like movies that are based on true life, but when it comes to podcasts, I adore true crime. Case File is presented factually as they don't need to dress it up to make it scary, fascinating or interesting. The anonymous host weaves the story together well. His voice is bland but soothing, given he's talking about disturbing things such as the Moors murders or the Yorkshire Ripper. I often fall asleep to it: I don't know what that says about me.
Book
I've already read Oh My God What a Complete Aisling twice. I know the writers Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght, so I don't know if it's favouritism, but I thought it was one of the funniest things I've ever read. They even managed to make the sad moments funny.
Director
I saw Thor: Ragnarok by Taika Waititi and I loved it so much – one of the funniest lines I've ever heard on film is "Piss off, ghost". I went back and watched all of his other movies, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople especially has become a go-to movie. It's so full of heart.
Gadget
It’s my iPhone 6. I moved to Apple about five years ago and I haven’t gone back, even though everyone’s saying that Android is the way to go now. I’m not too interested in the iPhone X. I don’t need to have the latest technology. If it can tell me what time a bus is going to arrive and cinema timings, I’m happy.
Artist
I've loved Ophelia by John Everett Millais ever since I was a kid. I love the pre-Raphaelite look of women in dire situations – that and John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott are my screensavers.
Restaurant
Jack’s Coastguard restaurant in Cromane in Co Kerry, where my mam is from. I remember going there as a child. There were always sessions on and musicians playing. In the last few years, it’s been done up and turned into this amazing restaurant: the salmon is some of the nicest I’ve ever had.
- In conversation with Shilpa Ganatra
