At Home With...Will Leahy

“I’ve been living in a new house I had built on a site I bought in Cratloe, which is in Clare. I drive about 20 minutes to work each day. At this stage, I’d consider myself a country dweller. I can see cows from my kitchen window, and I’m a 15-minute walk to the nearest pub, which is Casey’s in Sixmilebridge. Country living around here is typified by one thing – people nod at you whether they know you or not. You feel a bit like the Queen.”
Leahy was born and grew up in Limerick city. So who does he support in hurling – Limerick or Clare? “My family are still in Limerick, so I have to favour Limerick. Traditionally Clare have always done better (does two All-Irelands in 100 years qualify as ‘better’? than – pedantic Sports Ed.) but Limerick got to the All-Ireland final last year.”
When he fancies a decent meal he’s not stuck for choice. “I’m close to Bunratty Castle, which is 10 minutes from my door. I’m a regular at Bunratty Manor, which is run by the very affable Mr Noel Wallace.”
He’s not a man who believes in bringing work home, but he does admit that when he listens to radio it’s hard to switch off. “I’ve never had a PC or broadband in the house. I sit in front of a screen all day at the office, and computers are ever-present in broadcasting, so I have a computer in front of me for the best part of 12 hours every day. When I get home I have to get away from the screen. So in that sense the house is a bit of a haven from work really.”
Not surprisingly, he has a sizeable record collection. “Of necessity I’ve shunted the vinyl off to the attic, and I have an office with all my CDs in it. The desk I work on is a bit of an heirloom. It was my grandfather’s and I refurbished it and still use it.”
Leahy isn’t exactly a record buff. “I love music, and working with music, but I’m not the kind of person who goes home every evening and spends five hours listening to CDs. I get enough records sent to me not to have to go looking for more. I regard them essentially as tools of the trade. I have them filed, very carefully, into different styles of songs and the frequency with which they get played.”
Not having any immediate neighbours, Leahy can turn the volume up to eleven, but his Achille’s Heel might be the overabundance of M People records he possesses. He does have an excuse, hoewever. “I’m a hoarder and have great difficulty getting rid of things. When M People were popular we were getting three copies of every single sent to us every week, and I still have them!”
Radio is a continuous presence in the Leahy house. “I’m not particularly loyal to any station. First thing in the morning I switch on 2FM for the news. I always go to RTÉ for news because if something breaks overnight, RTÉ will have it first. Then I invariably switch over to my local station to get the local headlines. But radio presenters can never listen to radio like a normal listener. If I hear a song coming on, I’ll probably flick over to another channel to listen to the next link.”
His radio heroes are Jonathan Ross and Gerry Ryan. “I love Ross’ show on BBC Radio 2. But I grew up when Gerry Ryan started, so for me, radio begins and ends with him. In my opinion, Gerry is the best broadcaster in Ireland and the UK.”
He admits to having zero intererst in DIY and cooking. “If I had to rely on myself for cooking I’d probably starve.” He does do a bit of gardening, and there’s a stretch of at the back of the house where his dog Buddy gets a decent run around. As for Buddy’s bona fides? “He’s one of those Woolworth’s pick and mix dogs. Let’s say that he didn’t actually come with a sheaf of papers attached to him!”
Nor has he much interest in collecting artworks or ornaments. “I wouldn’t have the world’s best appreciation for art. Anything decorative I have in the house or on the walls would be of the ‘in-store’ variety, and chosen to be functional rather than for aesthetic reasons.” He adds that one of his prized possessions is a collection of seasons 1 to 9 of Seinfield.
His reading habit tends to be satisfied by a diet of music industry books and the fiction of Dan Brown and John Grisham . “Grisham is an obvious one, as his novels tend to be set in the legal profession. I bought his latest last week. Of course the US legal system is different from ours. When I tell people I’m a solicitor, people who watch a lot of courtroom dramas think it means that I get to shout ‘objection!’ all day. But I think Grisham explains the legal procedures well, even if he takes 300 pages to do it.”

Will Leahy broadcasts Monday-Friday 5 pm to 7 pm on RTÉ 2fm